Finding Rikki Diggory
by XxTomarry-FiFTeeNxX
Summary: I could see the green light of the Avada Kedavra Curse rushing towards me. I knew that it was my time to die. With a cry before I crumpled to the ground, I cried my beloved's name. "HARRY!" And I was no more. Fem!Cedric (Male!Edward Cullen) x Harry Potter PAIRINGS- DM/JB, HG/BZ, NL/LL, RW/Angela FW/GW/Leah Bella, Ginny bashing Twilight / Harry Potter Crossover
1. The Day Rikki Died Pt.1

I finally bought the rights to Harry Potter and Twilight ! Yayyy!

J.K.R: She a dirty lying git.

S.M: True! We got a lawyer and we ain't afraid to use him!

@tomarry15*breaks out in a cold sweat* S-Sorry! Please don't sue the broke high school kid!

J.K.R S.M : We'll leave you alone if you say the disclaimer!

@tomarry15: O-Okay! I don't own either Twilight nor Harry Potter, they belong to Queen Rowling and President Meyer. Nor will I ever own them. Unless...I assassinate them!

Queen R.: OI!

President M.:We heard that!

@tomarry15*cackles like Lestrange*

**————————————————**

Harry could see the cup within sight. But he may not make it in time though. A few seconds later, he heard a rustling coming from behind him. He quickly turned around to see his best friend, Rikki Diggory tumble out of a hedge in the maze.

He laughed.

"Don't laugh at me Harry! It's not funny! Imagine yourself getting swallowed up by a bloody hedge, you dolt!"growled Rikki.

Her normally sleek wavy dark bronze hair was mussed up and looked like Hermione on a really bad hair day. There were twigs and leaves all over that birds nest.

Her liquid silver eyes were alight with excitement. She hadn't seen the Triwizard Cup yet, since Harry was obstructing it from view.

"Are we near the center?"she asked him.

Harry stepped aside to reveal the Cup. He smirked at her and turned around and began to run. Rikki immediately followed in pursuit.

Out of nowhere, an Acromantula spider appeared and scratched Harry's leg. The cut was almost bone deep before Rikki had Stunned it.

Rikki giggled. "That's what you get for trying to outrun me, Harrykins." Then her joking demeanor changed to a serious one. She helped him up from the floor and supported half of his body weight on her. She helped him hobble over to the Cup and said :

"You should take the trophy, Harry. You deserve it more than I do. You got here first too! Take it..."she said softly.

Harry stared at her incredulously. He moved away from her and suddenly said:

(Next is an extract from GoF. Of course things are going to be changed a little. Derrr!)

"Both of us,"said Harry.

"What?"

"We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."

Rikki stared at Harry. She unfolded her arms.

"You—you sure?"

"Yeah,"said Harry. "Yeah...we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."

For a moment, Rikki looked as though she couldn't believe her ears; then her face split in a grin.

"You're on,"she said. "Come here."

She grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder, and helped him limp towards the ceiling plinth where the Cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held out a hand over one of the Cup's gleaming handles.

"On three, right?"said Harry. "One—two—three—."

He and Rikki both grasped a handle.

Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onwards, in a howl of swirling colour, Rikki at his side.

**——————————————-**

A/N: So...tell me whaddya think. This is my first crossover fanfic, so be nice! Forget to read review my lovelies!!!


	2. The Day Rikki Died Pt2

They landed in their new destination in a heap, with Rikki on top of Harry.

Harry blushed a faint scarlet as he felt Rikki's body against his own.

Rikki, seemingly oblivious to their position, asked him: "Where the fuck are we?"

"Hehehh...I-I don't know."

They took in their surroundings and found themselves in a spooky looking graveyard. That was...weird.

Rikki stood up and helped Harry to stand.

"Do you think that this is another thing in the task?"asked Harry.

Rikki POV

"Nah, I don't think so..." I replied.

Suddenly, a tombstone a tombstone near us explodes. I manage to pull Harry out the way as chunks of stone start flying everywhere.

We find ourselves in a clearing with graves encircling us.

That is when I hear the voice that will be forever imbedded into my memory.

"Kill the spare!" the disembodied voice hisses from behind me.

I quickly turned around to face the voice.

I could see the green light of the Avada Kedavra Curse rushing towards me.

I knew that it was my time to die.

With a cry before I crumpled to the ground, I cried my beloved's name. "HARRY!"

And I was no more.

——

Harry POV

My heart just broke as I saw Rikki's unseeing, now dull silver eyes.

They say that one looks peaceful in death, but with Rikki, that statement is a lie. She looked as if she was still troubled, like as if she had some unfinished business to be done. Of course she did! She never got the chance to live out her bloody life!

I couldn't move. All I could do was stare at her.

I could see a jet of flying towards me suddenly flying towards me. My eyes widened as it struck me squarely in the chest and I knew no more.

——

My head was pounding.

I could smell the strong scents of different potions lingering in the air. I open my eyes to see Pettigrew near a HUGE cauldron plopping questionable things into it.

My arms were bound to some statue, there was no free movement allowed.

"Don't try escaping Harry. You'll join your little girlfriend soon enough." a voice that I knew well.

I heard it long enough in my dreams to not recognize it.

"She's not my girlfriend, you bastard! Just...my best friend. Why the fuck am I even SPEAKING to YOU?!" I yelled.

The homonculus cackled from where it was on the ground.

Harry's scar started to prickle.

Peter began the resurrection ritual.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you shall resurrect your son!" A bone from the grave he was tied to flew out and landed into the palm of Peter's outstretched one. He dropped it into the cauldron.

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly given, you shall resurrect your foe!" Peter went over to Harry with a shiny silver dagger and cut him on his right forearm.

Harry yelled in agony. He could feel his own blood running down his arm.

Peter went back to the cauldron and tipped the blood that had made it onto the dagger. The liquid fizzed a royal blue.

"F-Flesh of t-the servant, willingly given, you shall resurrect your master!" Harry watched in morbid fascination as he cut off his right hand. Peter blubbered as he held his severed hand and stared at his bleeding stump.

He dropped his hand and the liquid in the cauldron turned a poisonous green.

Harry could feel the disfigured baby creature's excitement. It sickened him, the excitement actually was almost borderline sexual pleasure.

"Put me in the cauldron Wormtail!"the humanoid demanded.

Wormtail immediately complied.

That was when Harry's scar felt as if it were bursting. He could do nothing except shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth.

'Let it drown, please let it drown! Let it drown dear God, I beg you!' Harry thought frantically. Normally, he wasn't one to believe in God, but right now, he needed all the help he could ask for.

But his prayers were not answered.

The liquid turned into a blinding white, with a tall figure stepping out.

With his chocolate colored hair ,perfectly sculpted pale body, aristocratic features and ruby eyes,

Lord Voldemort had risen again.

———————————————-


	3. Have It Your Way

"Robe me, Wormtail,"said Voldemort.

Immediately, Wormtail responded and put on a dark grey robe onto the Dark Lord.

"Where's my wand Wormtail?" Voldemort hissed.

"H-Here M-M-My Lord."

Voldemort snatched his wand away from Wormtail and caressed it lovingly, with long, elegant fingers.

He looked straight at Harry and smirked. "Thought I'd look like some weird snake-human hybrid, didn't you, Harry?"he said.

Harry snorted. "To be honest, yes, I did."

That got a cackle from the Dark Lord. "You know, Harry...my offer still stands. You could be a great wizard if you just let me help you. You could join me, not as a Death Eater, rather, an equal. Think about it..."murmured Voldemort, not taking his ruby eyes off Harry.

Harry knew instantly what the Dark Lord was hinting at. It disgusted him.

"No thanks! I'm not into guys. And why would I pick you anyway? And you killed my parents, you bloody psycho!"he replied snappily.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed until they were slits and pursed his mouth into a thin line.

"Fine,"he said darkly. "Have it your way. Lord Voldemort doesn't give third chances."

He then turned to Wormtail. "Give me your arm!"he snapped.

Wormtail held out his stump, Voldemort gave him a sickly sweet smile. "No, Wormtail. Your other one."he said as he grabbed Peter's left arm and pulled up the robe sleeve to reveal a pitch black Dark Mark.

He put the tip of his wand on the Mark and said "Morsmordre".

"I wonder how many will be brave enough to return when they feel the Mark burn? And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"said Voldemort, as if he were discussing the weather.

Peter gave a pitiful wail as his Mark burned. Soon, cracks of Apparation could be heard.

Harry, Voldemort and Peter were soon encircled by Death Eaters.

Voldemort began to speak as he looked at Harry again:

Extract-

"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father,"he hissed softly. "A Muggle and a fool...very like your dear mother. They both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child...and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death..."

-end

Voldemort laughed. The Death Eaters stared silently in fear as they watched their master, Nagini circling around Harry's feet near the grass.

Wormtail, his stump still bleeding ,albeit sluggishly, crawled over to Voldemort and kissed the hem of his robes.

Extract

The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle s grave, Harry, Voldemort, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered.

"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly.

"Thirteen years. . . thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"

He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. "I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench or guilt upon the air.

A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him.

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! and I ask myself . . . why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm.

"And I answer myself," whispered Voldemort, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. . . .

"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?

"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort. . . perhaps they now pay allegiance to another . . . perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them.

"It is a disappointment to me ... I confess myself disappointed. . . ."

One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet.

"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!" Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand.

"Crucio!"

The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around. . . . Let the police come, he thought desperately . . . anyone . .. anything. . .

Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping.

"Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years ... I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?"

He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob.

"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, Master," moaned Wormtail, "please. Master . . . please ..."

"Yet you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me ... and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers... ."

Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtails bleeding wrist.

Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder.

"My Lord," he whispered. "Master ... it is beautiful. . . thank you... thank you. ..." He scrambled forward on his

knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. "May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail," said Voldemort.

"No, my Lord . . . never, my Lord . . ."

Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right.

"Lucius, my slippery friend," he whispered, halting before him. "I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius. . . . Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay. . . but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?"

"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -"

"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius. . . . You have disappointed me. ... I expect more faithful service in the future."

"Of course, my Lord, of course. . . . You are merciful, thank you. ..."

Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space - large enough for two people - that separated Malfoy and the next man.

"The Lestranges should stand here," said Voldemort quietly. "But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me. . . . When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us ... they are our natural allies ... we will recall the banished giants ... I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear. ..."

He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them.

"Macnair . . . destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide. ..."

"Thank you, Master . . . thank you," murmured Macnair.

"And here" - Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures - "we have Crabbe . . . you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?"

They bowed clumsily, muttering dully.

"Yes, Master ..."

"We will, Master..."

"The same goes for you, Nott," said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow.

"My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful -" "That will do," said Voldemort.

He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there.

"And here we have six missing Death Eaters . . . three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return ... he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever ... he will be killed, of course . . . and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service."

The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks.

"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight. . . .

"Yes," said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction. "Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor."

There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask.

"Master, we crave to know ... we beg you to tell us ... how you have achieved this . . . this miracle . . . how you managed to return to us. .. ."

"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius," said Voldemort. "And it begins - and ends - with my young friend here."

He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle.

"You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?" Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. "You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him - and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen. ... I could not touch the boy."

Voldemort raised one of his long elegant fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek.

"His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice. . . . This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it... but no matter. I can touch him now."

Harry felt the cold tip of the long elegant finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters.

"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah . . . pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost. . . but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know... I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal - to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked ... for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself... for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand. . . .

"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist. ... I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited. . . . Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me. . . one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body . . , but I waited in vain. ..."

The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing.

"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me.

I sometimes inhabited animals - snakes, of course, being my preference - but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic . . . and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long. . . .

"Then . . . four years ago . . . the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard - young, foolish, and gullible - wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of... for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school... he was easy to bend to my will... he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted . . . thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter. ..."

Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry.

"The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been," Voldemort continued. "I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers. . . . Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour... I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess . . . and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me. ..."

One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice.

"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last... a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding . . . helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way.

Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them. . . .

"But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food . . . and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic.

"Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail - displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him - convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her ... he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams ... for - with a little persuasion - she became a veritable mine of information.

"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things. . . but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her."

Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless.

"Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth ... a spell or two of my own invention ... a little help from my dear Nagini," Voldemorts red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, "a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided ... I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel.

"There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower ... I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength.

"I knew that to achieve this - it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight - I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant. . . .

"My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foe ... Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me ... as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potters blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago . . . for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too. .

"But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there. . . . Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup. ... I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?

"Why ... by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament - that he touched the Triwizard Cup first - the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is ... the boy you all believed had been my downfall. ..."

Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"

It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end ... to black out... to die ...

And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort's father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter.

"You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me," said Voldemort. "But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini," he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching.

"Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand."

-end

——————————


	4. Take Me Back, Will You?

Whole chapter is an extract. You'll understand why later.

———

Wormtail approached Harry, who scrambled to find his feet, to support his own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging Harry, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying Harry to the gravestone.

There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around him and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled. Wormtail walked out of the circle to the place where Rikki's body lay and returned with Harry's wand, which he thrust roughly into Harry's hand without looking at him. Then Wormtail resumed his place in the circle of watching Death Eaters.

"You have been taught how to duel. Harry Potter?" said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.

At these words Harry remembered, as though from a former life, the dueling club at Hogwarts he had attended briefly two years ago. ... All he had learned there was the Disarming Spell, "Expelliarmus". . . and what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his wand, even if he could, when he was surrounded by Death Eaters, outnumbered by at least thirty to one? He had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this. He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned . . . the unblockable Avada Kedavra curse - and Voldemort was right - his mother was not here to die for him this time. ...

He was quite unprotected. . . .

"We bow to each other. Harry," said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his handsome face upturned to Harry.

"Come, the niceties must be observed. . . . Dumbledore would like you to show manners. . . . Bow to death, Harry. ..."

The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemorts plump lipped mouth was smiling. Harry did not bow. He was not going to let Voldemort play with him before killing him ... he was not going to give him that satisfaction. . . .

"I said, bow," Voldemort said, raising his wand - and Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending him ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.

"Very good," said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon Harry lifted too. "And now you face me, like a man . . . straight-backed and proud, the way your father died. . . .

"And now - we duel."

Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was. . . . White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life -

And then it stopped. Harry rolled over and scrambled to his feet; he was shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand had been cut off; he staggered sideways into the wall of watching Death Eaters, and they pushed him away, back toward Voldemort.

"A little break," said Voldemort, his nostrils dilating with excitement, "a little pause . . . That hurt, didn't it. Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

Harry didn't answer. He was going to die like Rikki , those pitiless red eyes were telling him so ... he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it... but he wasn't going to play along. He wasn't going to obey Voldemort... he wasn't going to beg. . . .

"I asked you whether you want me to do that again," said Voldemort softly. "Answer me! Imperio!"

And Harry felt, for the third time in his life, the sensation that his mind had been wiped of all thought. . . . Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming ...just answer no ... say no ... just answer no. .. I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, I won't answer. . . . Just answer no. . . .

I won't do it, I won't say it. ...

Just answer no. . . .

"I WON'T!"

And these words burst from Harry's mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him - back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over his body - back rushed the realization of where he was, and what he was facing. . . .

"You won't?" said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. "You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die. . . . Perhaps another little dose of pain?"

Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort s father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him.

"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry," said Voldemort's soft, cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed. "You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry . . . come out and play, then ... it will be quick ... it might even be painless ... I would not know... I have never died. . . ."

Harry crouched behind the headstone and knew the end had come. There was no hope ... no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort s feet... he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible. . . .

Before Voldemort could stick his aristocratic face around the headstone. Harry stood up ... he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort.

Voldemort was ready. As Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light issued from Voldemorts wand just as a jet of red light blasted from Harry's - they met in midair - and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as though an electric charge were surging through it; his hand seized up around it; he couldn't have released it if he'd wanted to - and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold. Harry, following the beam with his astonished gaze, saw that Voldemort's long elegant fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating.

And then - nothing could have prepared Harry for this - he felt his feet lift from the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They glided away from the tombstone of Voldemort's father and then came to rest on a patch of ground that was clear and free of graves. . . . The Death Eaters were shouting; they were asking Voldemort for instructions; they were closing in, reforming the circle around Harry and Voldemort, the snake slithering at their heels, some of them drawing their wands -

The golden thread connecting Harry and Voldemort splintered; though the wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a

cage of light, beyond which the Death Eaters circled like jackals, their cries strangely muffled now. . . .

"Do nothing!" Voldemort shrieked to the Death Eaters, and Harry saw his red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening, saw him fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand with Harry's; Harry held onto his wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken. "Do nothing unless I command you!" Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters.

And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air. ...

It was coming from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song.

It was the sound of hope to Harry. . . the most beautiful and welcome thing he had ever heard in his life. . . . He felt as though the song were inside him instead of just around him. ... It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear. . . .

Don't break the connection.

I know. Harry told the music, I know I mustn't. . . but no sooner had he thought it, than the thing became much harder to do. His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever . . . and now the beam between him and Voldemort changed too ... it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands - Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way. . . . The direction of the beams movement was now toward him, from Voldemort, and he felt his wand shudder angrily. . . .

As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harrys wand tip, the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into flame. The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry's wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers -

He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious, fixed . . . and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way . . . and it was Voldemort's wand that was vibrating extra-hard now . . .

Voldemort who looked astonished, and almost fearful. . . .

One of the beads of light was quivering, inches from the tip of Voldemorts wand. Harry didn't understand why he was doing it, didn't know what it might achieve . . . but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort s wand . . . and slowly . . . very slowly ... it moved along the golden thread ... it trembled for a moment. . . and then it connected. . . .

At once, Voldemorts wand began to emit echoing screams of pain . . . then - Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock - a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished . . . the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail. . . more shouts of pain . . . and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemorts wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke. ... It was a head . . . now a chest and arms . . .

The torso of Cedrikah Diggory.

If ever Harry might have released his wand from shock, it would have been then, but instinct kept him clutching his wand tightly, so that the thread of golden light remained unbroken, even though the thick gray ghost of Rikki Diggory (was it a ghost? it looked so solid) emerged in its entirety from the end of Voldemort s wand, as though it were squeezing itself out of a very narrow tunnel. . . and this shade of Rikki stood up, and looked up and down the golden thread of light, and spoke.

"Hold on. Harry," it said.

Its voice was distant and echoing. Harry looked at Voldemort ... his wide red eyes were still shocked ... he had no more expected this than Harry had . . . and, very dimly. Harry heard the frightened yells of the Death Eaters, prowling around the edges of the golden dome. .

More screams of pain from the wand . . . and then something else emerged from its tip ... the dense shadow of a second head, quickly followed by arms and torso ... an old man Harry had seen only in a dream was now pushing himself out of the end of the wand just as Rikki had done . . . and his ghost, or his shadow, or whatever it was, fell next to Rikki's , and surveyed Harry and Voldemort, and the golden web, and the connected wands, with mild surprise, leaning on his walking stick. . . .

"He was a real wizard, then?" the old man said, his eyes on Voldemort. "Killed me, that one did. . . . You fight him, boy. . . ."

But already, yet another head was emerging ... and this head, gray as a smoky statue, was a woman's. . . . Harry, both arms shaking now as he fought to keep his wand still, saw her drop to the ground and straighten up like the others, staring. . . .

The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes.

"Don't let go, now!" she cried, and her voice echoed like Rikki's as though from very far away. "Don't let him get you, Harry - don't let go!"

She and the other two shadowy figures began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web, while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it... and Voldemort's dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers, whispered words of encouragement to Harry, and hissed words Harry couldn't hear to Voldemort.

And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemorts wand . . . and Harry knew when he saw it who it would be ... he knew, as though he had expected it from the moment when Rikki had appeared from the wand . . . knew, because the man appearing was the one he'd thought of more than any other tonight. . . .

The smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done, straightened up, and looked at him . . . and Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of his father.

"Your mother's coming . . ." he said quietly. "She wants to see you ... it will be all right.. . hold on. . . ."

And she came. . . first her head, then her body... a young woman with long hair, the smoky, shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like her husband. She walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and she spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear. . ..

"When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments . . . but we will give you time. . . you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts ... do you understand, Harry?"

"Yes," Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.

"Harry . . ." whispered the figure of Rikki , "take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents, ..."

"I will," said Harry, his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand. "Do it now," whispered his father's voice, "be ready to run . . . do it now. ..."

"NOW!" Harry yelled; he didn't think he could have held on for another moment anyway - he pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died - but the shadowy figures of Voldemort's victims did not disappear - they were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze -

And Harry ran as he had never run in his life, knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zigzagged behind headstones, feeling their curses following him, hearing them hit the headstones - he was dodging curses and graves, pelting toward Rikki's body, no longer aware of the pain in his leg, his whole being concentrated on what he had to do -

"Stun him!" he heard Voldemort scream.

Ten feet from Rikki , Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of red light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it. Gripping his wand more tightly, he dashed out from behind the angel -

"Impedimenta!" he bellowed, pointing his wand wildly over his shoulder at the Death Eaters running at him.

From a muffled yell, he thought he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to stop and look; he jumped over the cup and dived as he heard more wand blasts behind him; more jets of light flew over his head as he fell, stretching out his hand to grab Rikki's arm...

"Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!" shrieked Voldemort. Harry's hand had closed on Rikki's wrist; one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, and the cup was out of reach -

Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness. Harry saw his mouth curl into a smile, saw him raise his wand.

"Accio!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle -

He heard Voldemort s scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked - it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Rikki along with him. . . .

They were going back.

———


	5. Goodbye Rikki

Harry and Rikki landed on the floor with a thump. The Cup had been pushed away from the two.

Trumpets and cheering could be heard all around Harry. He didn't care. Rikki was gone and never coming back.

He sobbed noisily onto her robes and held her close. The cheering and trumpets stopped. Girls could be heard shrieking and wailing the guys shouting in panicked voices.

Harry could hear multiple footsteps coming towards them.

A gasp could be heard. "Oh my God! Diggory's dead!"exclaimed Professor McGonagall as soon as she saw

Rikki's unseeing eyes.

"The rest of the Diggorys are coming here Albus! I can see them near the stands!"warned Madam Pomfrey.

"Let them come, but break the news as gently as you can to Miss Diggory's parents and brother. They do not need to be more distraught than they already are."ordered Dumbledore, but it was too late. They were already there.

"That was my little girl! Our little girl, dead!"cried Amos Diggory.

"C'mon, Harry, just let her go,"coaxed Rikki's fifteen year old brother, Damon.

"No! You don't understand. I saw her bloody die in front of me! She shouldn't be dead. She should be alive and smiling, Day. Teasing me for what a prat I am..."trailed off Harry's as his voice broke in grief.

Damon managed to pry Harry off Rikki's body slowly without him noticing. "C'mon Harry. I understand. Just go to the Hospital Wing with Professor Moody, yeah? I'll st-ay

h-h-here with Mum and Dad."he tried to say confidently, but his voice got choked up in the end.

Moody took Harry and led them back to the castle.

Rikki POV

Limbo

I gasped as I sat up in some white space. How the hell am I still alive? I know that I got hit with an AK... I even told Harry to take my body back!

I didn't even get a chance to tell him that I loved him. Ever since I was fourteen...

I looked down to find myself naked. Oh my God! Weren't there any clothes here?!

I looked to my side to see a white sundress. I quickly slip it on, lest someone see me like that. Mumma always said : "A pureblood lady-in-training never lets anyone see her naked and vulnerable!"

I could hear footsteps coming from behind me. I stood up and immediately turned to that direction.

What I saw really left me awestruck.

Two figures, one robed in a white brighter than the room, the other robed in a pitch black darker than a night without the moon or stars.

Both had a symbol on their left breast of the robe. She recognized only one of them. The one on the black figure. One that was whispered throughout the ages.

The Deathly Hallows.

"Y-You're Death!" I squeaked fearfully.

Death smiled. He didn't look like that skeletal person they depict in the Tales of Beadle the Bard. He looked rather handsome if you asked me. Hair blonder than the Malfoys, eyes greener than my own favorite pair that I liked to see.

His face looked aristocratic and quite pale if you asked me.His hair reached to his shoulders.

The other figure, was a woman with inky black hair and golden eyes and lightly tanned skin. I think I have an idea who she is. Legends say that Death had a twin sister, Life.

She was exactly the opposite of what Death was supposed to be. Except beautiful. She was every bit as beautiful as him.

"What am I doing here?" I asked.

Life spoke. "To see my Heir, of course! And also to warn you, Cedrikah."

I grimaced at the use of my full name. I really hated it.

"Call me Rikki, please." I say. "And what do you mean that I'm your Heir?! What do you have to warn me against?"

Death put up his hand in a silencing gesture. "Calm down, childe."he said in a rich baritone. " Let's start with the biggest issue first."

"Yeeesss?..."

Life smiled indulgently. "You know, I've always wanted a teenager of my own!"she squealed to her brother. "This should be fun!"

Death gave her a glare. "Getting on to other serious issues..." he said, turning back to me.

"Cedrikah, you are Life's Heir to her Hallows, funnily enough, called 'The Lively Hallows'. She chose you to be her Heir and I chose someone you know to be mine."

Huh? "Who's your Heir, Lord Death?" I asked.

"Harry Potter."

@$#.

"Really! Wow! T-That's awesome...I guess." I say.

Life and Death both laughed at my bewildered expression.

"What do you have to warn me about?" I asked, trying very hard to change the topic.

It worked.

This time it was Life's turn to get serious.

"Albus Dumbledore and Ginny Weasley are going to try and separate you and Harry from each other—."

"WHAT?!"

"—BUT you shall see him again. In four years time, on this very day, you will be a totally different person, with a different personality and a different family with no memory of the past. You'll be somewhere far away from England, but do not fret, child. You will remember your beloved and combine your past and present together."

"Why do I have to go though?" I wailed.

"Blame our cousins Fate and Destiny for meddling in your lives. They love drama." Life said.

"Tell them to fuck off when I see Harry again please."

"We can't promise that."

"Can I at least give him a clue in a dream or something?" I asked.

"Sure. We can allow that. But you have to pick a moment when you want the vision to presented to him. I'll masquerade as you if chose after the war."offered Life.

"Definitely after." I reply.

"Then good luck, Cedrikah. You're going to need it.

The room faded away.

——————

Reality

I snapped open my eyes to find myself laying on a bed in some unused classroom in the castle. At least it wasn't dusty though and the bed was comfortable.

I sit up to find myself being pushed back roughly by a smaller hand. What the fuck is going on?

Where was Harry?!

"So sorry Rikki, but you're being a big nuisance to mine and Harry's relationship. I have no idea what he sees in you."hissed Ginny Weasley.

Huh. I'm not surprised actually. I keep a stoic expression, but said nothing.

"Enough, Miss Weasley!"came Dumbledore's voice.

He strode out of the shadows with a vial of some potion that was tinted slightly green.

I knew that stuff anywhere. Vampire venom.

He cast a strong Glamour on me that turned me into a guy and still I said nothing. I looked a lot like my brother, Damon, from what I could see in the mirror that he had conjured up.

"I'm truly sorry that I had to do this to you Miss Diggory. You had to go, you are making Harry too independent. We need a martyr for this war, not a strong leader. It is for the Greater Good."he said somberly.

I growled at him as he tipped the Vampire venom into my mouth. I gave a little shriek of pain as it burned my system, turning me less than human.

All of a sudden, Dumbledore murmured "Obliviate" and I knew no more.

—————————


	6. I Didn’t Tell You

Harry POV

The last few hours were awful.

Moody wasn't Moody, rather he was Barty Crouch Jr., Rikki was dead and I couldn't stop wallowing over her.

Dumbledore had asked me a few questions about what had happened when Voldemort had risen, so I told him. Now, the Weasleys and Hermione were clustered all around him, with Fred and George looking the saddest straight after him. Rikki was one of their best friends, I , Hermione and Lee Jordan included. Now that she was gone, school wouldn't be the same without her.

"Harry, I'm so sorry. I also wish that Rikki wasn't gone... but you should get some sleep. She would want you to rest.

C'mon Harry, if not for us or you... do it for her."coaxed Hermione.

I slumped my shoulders in defeat. "You don't get it do you , Mya? I actually like liked Rikki ever since second year. I never got the chance to tell t-th-at..." the emotional toll on me was too much.

Mrs Weasley immediately enveloped me into a hug. "What didn't you get to tell her, honey?"she whispered.

"I didn't get the chance to tell her that I loved her."


	7. Who’s to say it’s not real?

Three Years Later— 2 May 1998

(This whole thing is an extract)

He lay facedown, listening to the silence. He was perfectly alone. Nobody was watching. Nobody else was there. He was not perfectly sure that he was there himself.

A long time later, or maybe no time at all, it came to him that he must exist, must be more than disembodied thought, because he was lying, definitely lying, on some surface. Therefore he had a sense of touch, and the thing against which he lay existed too.

Almost as soon as he had reached this conclusion, Harry became conscious that he was naked. Convinced as he was of his total soli- tude, this did not concern him, but it did intrigue him slightly. He wondered whether, as he could feel, he would be able to see. In opening them, he discovered that he had eyes.

He lay in a bright mist, though it was not like mist he had ever experienced before. His surroundings were not hidden by cloudy vapor; rather the cloudy vapor had not yet formed into sur- roundings. The floor on which he lay seemed to be white, neither warm nor cold, but simply there, a flat, blank something on which to be.

He sat up. His body appeared unscathed. He touched his face. He was not wearing glasses anymore.

Then a noise reached him through the unformed nothingness that surrounded him: the small soft thumpings of something that flapped, flailed, and struggled. It was a pitiful noise, yet also slightly indecent. He had the uncomfortable feeling that he was eavesdrop- ping on something furtive, shameful.

For the first time, he wished he were clothed.

Barely had the wish formed in his head than robes appeared a short distance away. He took them and pulled them on: They were soft, clean, and warm. It was extraordinary how they had appeared, just like that, the moment he had wanted them. . . .

He stood up, looking around. Was he in some great Room of Requirement? The longer he looked, the more there was to see. A great domed glass roof glittered high above him in sunlight. Per- haps it was a palace. All was hushed and still, except for those odd thumping and whimpering noises coming from somewhere close by in the mist. . . .

Harry turned slowly on the spot, and his surroundings seemed to invent themselves before his eyes. A wide-open space, bright and clean, a hall larger by far than the Great Hall, with that clear, domed glass ceiling. It was quite empty. He was the only person there, except for —

He recoiled. He had spotted the thing that was making the noises. It had the form of a small, naked child, curled on the ground, its skin raw and rough, flayed-looking, and it lay shuddering under a

seat where it had been left, unwanted, stuffed out of sight, strug- gling for breath.

He was afraid of it. Small and fragile and wounded though it was, he did not want to approach it. Nevertheless he drew slowly nearer, ready to jump back at any moment. Soon he stood near enough to touch it, yet he could not bring himself to do it. He felt like a cow- ard. He ought to comfort it, but it repulsed him.

"You cannot help."

He spun around. Albus Dumbledore was walking toward him, sprightly and upright, wearing sweeping robes of midnight blue.

"Harry." He spread his arms wide, and his hands were both whole and white and undamaged. "You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man. Let us walk."

Stunned, Harry followed as Dumbledore strode away from where the flayed child lay whimpering, leading him to two seats that Harry had not previously noticed, set some distance away under that high, sparkling ceiling. Dumbledore sat down in one of them, and Harry fell into the other, staring at his old headmaster's face. Dumbledore's long silver hair and beard, the piercingly blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles, the crooked nose: Everything was as he had remembered it. And yet. . .

"But you're dead," said Harry.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.

"Then . . . I'm dead too?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore, smiling still more broadly. "That is the

question, isn't it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not." They looked at each other, the old man still beaming. "Not?" repeated Harry.

"Not," said Dumbledore.

"But . . ." Harry raised his hand instinctively toward the lightning scar. It did not seem to be there. "But I should have died — I didn't defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!"

"And that," said Dumbledore, "will, I think, have made all the difference."

Happiness seemed to radiate from Dumbledore like light, like fire: Harry had never seen the man so utterly, so palpably content.

"Explain," said Harry.

"But you already know," said Dumbledore. He twiddled his thumbs together.

"I let him kill me," said Harry. "Didn't I?"

"You did," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Go on!"

"So the part of his soul that was in me . . ."

Dumbledore nodded still more enthusiastically, urging Harry onward, a broad smile of encouragement on his face.

". . . has it gone?"

"Oh yes!" said Dumbledore. "Yes, he destroyed it. Your soul is

whole, and completely your own, Harry."

"But then . . ."

Harry glanced over his shoulder to where the small, maimed

creature trembled under the chair.

"What is that, Professor?"

"Something that is beyond either of our help," said Dumbledore.

"But if Voldemort used the Killing Curse," Harry started again,

"and nobody died for me this time — how can I be alive?"

"I think you know," said Dumbledore. "Think back. Remember

what he did, in his ignorance, in his greed and his cruelty."

Harry thought. He let his gaze drift over his surroundings. If it was indeed a palace in which they sat, it was an odd one, with chairs set in little rows and bits of railing here and there, and still, he and Dumbledore and the stunted creature under the chair were the only beings there. Then the answer rose to his lips easily, with- out effort.

"He took my blood," said Harry.

"Precisely!" said Dumbledore. "He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily's protec- tion inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!"

"I live . . . while he lives? But I thought . . . I thought it was the other way round! I thought we both had to die? Or is it the same thing?"

He was distracted by the whimpering and thumping of the ago- nized creature behind them and glanced back at it yet again.

"Are you sure we can't do anything?"

"There is no help possible."

"Then explain . . . more," said Harry, and Dumbledore smiled. "You were the seventh Horcrux, Harry, the Horcrux he never

meant to make. He had rendered his soul so unstable that it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of your parents, the attempted killing of a child. But what escaped from that room was even less than he knew. He left more than his body behind. He left part of himself latched to you, the would-be victim who had survived.

"And his knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to compre- hend. Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and in- nocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That

they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.

"He took your blood believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when she died for you. His body keeps her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so do you and so does Voldemort's one last hope for himself."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, and Harry stared at him.

"And you knew this? You knew — all along?"

"I guessed. But my guesses have usually been good," said Dumble-

dore happily, and they sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, while the creature behind them continued to whimper and tremble. "There's more," said Harry. "There's more to it. Why did my wand

break the wand he borrowed?"

"As to that, I cannot be sure."

"Have a guess, then," said Harry, and Dumbledore laughed. "What you must understand, Harry, is that you and Lord Vol-

demort have journeyed together into realms of magic hitherto un- known and untested. But here is what I think happened, and it is unprecedented, and no wandmaker could, I think, ever have pre- dicted it or explained it to Voldemort.

"Without meaning to, as you now know, Lord Voldemort doubled the bond between you when he returned to a human form. A part of his soul was still attached to yours, and, thinking to strengthen himself, he took a part of your mother's sacrifice into himself. If he could only have understood the precise and terrible power of that sacrifice, he would not, perhaps, have dared to touch your blood. . . . But then, if he had been able to understand, he could not be Lord Voldemort, and might never have murdered at all.

"Having ensured this two-fold connection, having wrapped your destinies together more securely than ever two wizards were joined in history, Voldemort proceeded to attack you with a wand that shared a core with yours. And now something very strange hap- pened, as we know. The cores reacted in a way that Lord Volde- mort, who never knew that your wand was twin of his, had never expected.

"He was more afraid than you were that night, Harry. You had ac- cepted, even embraced, the possibility of death, something Lord Vol- demort has never been able to do. Your courage won, your wand overpowered his. And in doing so, something happened between those wands, something that echoed the relationship between their masters.

"I believe that your wand imbibed some of the power and quali- ties of Voldemort's wand that night, which is to say that it contained a little of Voldemort himself. So your wand recognized him when he pursued you, recognized a man who was both kin and mortal enemy, and it regurgitated some of his own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything Lucius's wand had ever performed. Your wand now contained the power of your enormous courage and of Voldemort's own deadly skill: What chance did that poor stick of Lucius Malfoy's stand?"

"But if my wand was so powerful, how come Hermione was able to break it?" asked Harry.

"My dear boy, its remarkable effects were directed only at Vol- demort, who had tampered so ill-advisedly with the deepest laws of magic. Only toward him was that wand abnormally powerful. Otherwise it was a wand like any other . . . though a good one, I am sure," Dumbledore finished kindly.

Harry sat in thought for a long time, or perhaps seconds. It was very hard to be sure of things like time, here.

"He killed me with your wand."

"He failed to kill you with my wand," Dumbledore corrected Harry. "I think we can agree that you are not dead — though, of course," he added, as if fearing he had been discourteous, "I do not minimize your sufferings, which I am sure were severe."

"I feel great at the moment, though," said Harry, looking down at his clean, unblemished hands. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Well, I was going to ask you that," said Dumbledore, looking around. "Where would you say that we are?"

Until Dumbledore had asked, Harry had not known. Now, how- ever, he found that he had an answer ready to give.

"It looks," he said slowly, "like King's Cross station. Except a lot cleaner and empty, and there are no trains as far as I can see."

"King's Cross station!" Dumbledore was chuckling immoderately. "Good gracious, really?"

"Well, where do you think we are?" asked Harry, a little defen- sively.

"My dear boy, I have no idea. This is, as they say, your party."

Harry had no idea what this meant; Dumbledore was being infu- riating. He glared at him, then remembered a much more pressing question than that of their current location.

"The Deathly Hallows," he said, and he was glad to see that the words wiped the smile from Dumbledore's face.

"Ah, yes," he said. He even looked a little worried.

"Well?"

For the first time since Harry had met Dumbledore, he looked less than an old man, much less. He looked fleetingly like a small boy caught in wrongdoing.

"Can you forgive me?" he said. "Can you forgive me for not trust- ing you? For not telling you? Harry, I only feared that you would fail as I had failed. I only dreaded that you would make my mistakes. I crave your pardon, Harry. I have known, for some time now, that you are the better man."

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, startled by Dumble- dore's tone, by the sudden tears in his eyes.

"The Hallows, the Hallows," murmured Dumbledore. "A desper- ate man's dream!"

"But they're real!"

"Real, and dangerous, and a lure for fools," said Dumbledore. "And I was such a fool. But you know, don't you? I have no secrets from you anymore. You know."

"What do I know?"

Dumbledore turned his whole body to face Harry, and tears still sparkled in the brilliantly blue eyes.

"Master of death, Harry, master of Death! Was I better, ulti- mately, than Voldemort?"

"Of course you were," said Harry. "Of course — how can you ask that? You never killed if you could avoid it!"

"True, true," said Dumbledore, and he was like a child seeking reassurance. "Yet I too sought a way to conquer death, Harry."

"Not the way he did," said Harry. After all his anger at Dumble- dore, how odd it was to sit here, beneath the high, vaulted ceiling, and defend Dumbledore from himself. "Hallows, not Horcruxes."

"Hallows," murmured Dumbledore, "not Horcruxes. Precisely."

There was a pause. The creature behind them whimpered, but Harry no longer looked around.

"Grindelwald was looking for them too?" he asked. Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

"It was the thing, above all, that drew us together," he said quietly.

"Two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession. He wanted to come to Godric's Hollow, as I am sure you have guessed, because of the grave of Ignotus Peverell. He wanted to explore the place the third brother had died."

"So it's true?" asked Harry. "All of it? The Peverell brothers —"

"— were the three brothers of the tale," said Dumbledore, nod- ding. "Oh yes, I think so. Whether they met Death on a lonely road . . . I think it more likely that the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating those power- ful objects. The story of them being Death's own Hallows seems to me the sort of legend that might have sprung up around such creations.

"The Cloak, as you know now, traveled down through the ages, father to son, mother to daughter, right down to Ignotus's last liv- ing descendant, who was born, as Ignotus was, in the village of Godric's Hollow."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry.

"Me?"

"You. You have guessed, I know, why the Cloak was in my posses-

sion on the night your parents died. James had showed it to me just a few days previously. It explained much of his undetected wrong- doing at school! I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I asked to borrow it, to examine it. I had long since given up my dream of uniting the Hallows, but I could not resist, could not help taking a closer look. . . . It was a Cloak the likes of which I had never seen, immensely old, perfect in every respect . . . and then your father died, and I had two Hallows at last, all to myself!"

His tone was unbearably bitter.

"The Cloak wouldn't have helped them survive, though," Harry said quickly. "Voldemort knew where my mum and dad were. The Cloak couldn't have made them curse-proof."

"True," sighed Dumbledore. "True."

Harry waited, but Dumbledore did not speak, so he prompted him.

"So you'd given up looking for the Hallows when you saw the Cloak?"

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore faintly. It seemed that he forced him- self to meet Harry's eyes. "You know what happened. You know. You cannot despise me more than I despise myself."

"But I don't despise you —"

"Then you should," said Dumbledore. He drew a deep breath. "You know the secret of my sister's ill health, what those Muggles did, what she became. You know how my poor father sought re- venge, and paid the price, died in Azkaban. You know how my mother gave up her own life to care for Ariana.

"I resented it, Harry."

Dumbledore stated it baldly, coldly. He was looking now over the top of Harry's head, into the distance.

"I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory.

"Do not misunderstand me," he said, and pain crossed the face so that he looked ancient again. "I loved them. I loved my parents, I loved my brother and my sister, but I was selfish, Harry, more selfish than you, who are a remarkably selfless person, could pos- sibly imagine.

"So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then, of course, he came. . . ."

Dumbledore looked directly into Harry's eyes again.

"Grindelwald. You cannot imagine how his ideas caught me, Harry, inflamed me. Muggles forced into subservience. We wizards triumphant. Grindelwald and I, the glorious young leaders of the revolution.

"Oh, I had a few scruples. I assuaged my conscience with empty words. It would all be for the greater good, and any harm done would be repaid a hundredfold in benefits for wizards. Did I know, in my heart of hearts, what Gellert Grindelwald was? I think I did, but I closed my eyes. If the plans we were making came to fruition, all my dreams would come true.

"And at the heart of our schemes, the Deathly Hallows! How they fascinated him, how they fascinated both of us! The unbeatable wand, the weapon that would lead us to power! The Resurrection Stone — to him, though I pretended not to know it, it meant an army of Inferi! To me, I confess, it meant the return of my parents, and the lifting of all responsibility from my shoulders.

"And the Cloak . . . somehow, we never discussed the Cloak much, Harry. Both of us could conceal ourselves well enough without the Cloak, the true magic of which, of course, is that it can be used to protect and shield others as well as its owner. I thought that, if we ever found it, it might be useful in hiding Ariana, but our interest in the Cloak was mainly that it completed the trio, for the legend

said that the man who united all three objects would then be truly master of death, which we took to mean 'invincible.'

"Invincible masters of death, Grindelwald and Dumbledore! Two months of insanity, of cruel dreams, and neglect of the only two members of my family left to me.

"And then . . . you know what happened. Reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me. I did not want to hear that I could not set forth to seek Hallows with a fragile and unstable sister in tow.

"The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being. And Ariana . . . after all my mother's care and caution . . . lay dead upon the floor."

Dumbledore gave a little gasp and began to cry in earnest. Harry reached out and was glad to find that he could touch him: He gripped his arm tightly and Dumbledore gradually regained control.

"Well, Grindelwald fled, as anyone but I could have predicted. He vanished, with his plans for seizing power, and his schemes for Muggle torture, and his dreams of the Deathly Hallows, dreams in which I had encouraged him and helped him. He ran, while I was left to bury my sister, and learn to live with my guilt and my terrible grief, the price of my shame.

"Years passed. There were rumors about him. They said he had procured a wand of immense power. I, meanwhile, was offered the post of Minister of Magic, not once, but several times. Naturally, I refused. I had learned that I was not to be trusted with power."

"But you'd have been better, much better, than Fudge or Scrimgeour!" burst out Harry.

"Would I?" asked Dumbledore heavily. "I am not so sure. I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and my temptation. It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.

"I was safer at Hogwarts. I think I was a good teacher —"

"You were the best —"

"— you are very kind, Harry. But while I busied myself with

the training of young wizards, Grindelwald was raising an army. They say he feared me, and perhaps he did, but less, I think, than I feared him.

"Oh, not death," said Dumbledore, in answer to Harry's ques- tioning look. "Not what he could do to me magically. I knew that we were evenly matched, perhaps that I was a shade more skillful. It was the truth I feared. You see, I never knew which of us, in that last, horrific fight, had actually cast the curse that killed my sister. You may call me cowardly: You would be right. Harry, I dreaded beyond all things the knowledge that it had been I who brought about her death, not merely through my arrogance and stupidity, but that I actually struck the blow that snuffed out her life.

"I think he knew it, I think he knew what frightened me. I de- layed meeting him until finally, it would have been too shameful to resist any longer. People were dying and he seemed unstoppable, and I had to do what I could.

"Well, you know what happened next. I won the duel. I won the wand."

Another silence. Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead. He did not want to know, and even less did he want Dumbledore to have to tell him. At last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he looked in the Mirror of Erised, and why Dumbledore had been so understanding of the fascination it had exercised over Harry.

They sat in silence for a long time, and the whimperings of the creature behind them barely disturbed Harry anymore.

At last he said, "Grindelwald tried to stop Voldemort going after the wand. He lied, you know, pretended he had never had it."

Dumbledore nodded, looking down at his lap, tears still glitter- ing on the crooked nose.

"They say he showed remorse in later years, alone in his cell at Nurmengard. I hope that it is true. I would like to think he did feel the horror and shame of what he had done. Perhaps that lie to Vol- demort was his attempt to make amends . . . to prevent Voldemort from taking the Hallow . . ."

". . . or maybe from breaking into your tomb?" suggested Harry, and Dumbledore dabbed his eyes.

After another short pause Harry said, "You tried to use the Res- urrection Stone."

Dumbledore nodded.

"When I discovered it, after all those years, buried in the aban- doned home of the Gaunts — the Hallow I had craved most of all, though in my youth I had wanted it for very different reasons — I lost my head, Harry. I quite forgot that it was now a Horcrux, that the ring was sure to carry a curse. I picked it up, and I put it on, and for a second I imagined that I was about to see Ariana, and

my mother, and my father, and to tell them how very, very sorry I was. . . .

"I was such a fool, Harry. After all those years I had learned noth- ing. I was unworthy to unite the Deathly Hallows, I had proved it time and again, and here was final proof."

"Why?" said Harry. "It was natural! You wanted to see them again. What's wrong with that?"

"Maybe a man in a million could unite the Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit to own the Elder Wand, and not to boast of it, and not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and to use it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others from it.

"But the Cloak, I took out of vain curiosity, and so it could never have worked for me as it works for you, its true owner. The stone I would have used in an attempt to drag back those who are at peace, rather than to enable my self-sacrifice, as you did. You are the worthy possessor of the Hallows."

Dumbledore patted Harry's hand, and Harry looked up at the old man and smiled; he could not help himself. How could he remain angry with Dumbledore now?

"Why did you have to make it so difficult?"

Dumbledore's smile was tremulous.

"I am afraid I counted on Miss Granger to slow you up, Harry.

I was afraid that your hot head might dominate your good heart. I was scared that, if presented outright with the facts about those tempting objects, you might seize the Hallows as I did, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. If you laid hands on them, I wanted you to possess them safely. You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from Death. He accepts that

"And Voldemort never knew about the Hallows?"

"I do not think so, because he did not recognize the Resurrection Stone he turned into a Horcrux. But even if he had known about them, Harry, I doubt that he would have been interested in any ex- cept the first. He would not think that he needed the Cloak, and as for the stone, whom would he want to bring back from the dead? He fears the dead. He does not love."

"But you expected him to go after the wand?"

"I have been sure that he would try, ever since your wand beat Voldemort's in the graveyard of Little Hangleton. At first, he was afraid that you had conquered him by superior skill. Once he had kidnapped Ollivander, however, he discovered the existence of the twin cores. He thought that explained everything. Yet the borrowed wand did no better against yours! So Voldemort, instead of asking himself what quality it was in you that had made your wand so strong, what gift you possessed that he did not, naturally set out to find the one wand that, they said, would beat any other. For him, the Elder Wand has become an obsession to rival his obsession with you. He believes that the Elder Wand removes his last weakness and makes him truly invincible. Poor Severus . . ."

"If you planned your death with Snape, you meant him to end up with the Elder Wand, didn't you?"

"I admit that was my intention," said Dumbledore, "but it did not work as I intended, did it?"

"No," said Harry. "That bit didn't work out."

The creature behind them jerked and moaned, and Harry and Dumbledore sat without talking for the longest time yet. The realization of what would happen next settled gradually over Harry in the long minutes, like softly falling snow.

"I've got to go back, haven't I?"

"That is up to you."

"I've got a choice?"

"Oh yes." Dumbledore smiled at him. "We are in King's Cross,

you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to . . . let's say . . . board a train."

"And where would it take me?"

"On," said Dumbledore simply.

Silence again.

"Voldemort's got the Elder Wand." "True. Voldemort has the Elder Wand." "But you want me to go back?"

"I think," said Dumbledore, "that if you choose to return, there is a chance that he may be finished for good. I cannot promise it. But I know this, Harry, that you have less to fear from returning here than he does."

Harry glanced again at the raw-looking thing that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair.

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present."

Harry nodded and sighed. Leaving this place would not be nearly as hard as walking into the forest had been, but it was warm and light and peaceful here, and he knew that he was heading back to pain and the fear of more loss. He stood up, and Dumbledore did the same, and they looked for a long moment into each other's faces.

"Tell me one last thing," said Harry. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"


	8. The Final Battle (Ir IS It!)

Harry did not open his eyes for fear of being caught out and killed. He didn't know how close he was to the Dark Lord or any Death Eaters.

He could hear Hagrid's loud sobs echoing through the clearing.

" 'Arry! Oh Merlin! Wha' 'ave yer done!"

Then he could hear Bellatrix's sycophantic voice. "My Lord! My Lord! Are you okay?!"as if speaking to a lover.

He could hear Voldemort getting up to his feet and growling: "Leave me alone, you psychotic woman! Crucio!"

Lestrange's shrieking pounded in his head.

"Narcissa! Go and check if Potter is alive."he hissed.

Harry felt Narcissa getting closer and smelt her sweet scent.

She slipped her hand under his red hoodie and traveled over his well muscled chest to feel his heart beat. Her long blond hair covered his face completely. A good advantage.

"Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?"she whispered ever so quietly.

"Yes."Harry whispered back.

[Extract from DH]

Hey felt the hand on his chest contract; her nails pierced him. Then it was withdrawn. She had sat up.

"He is dead!" Narcissa Malfoy called to the watchers.

And now they shouted, now they yelled in triumph and stamped their feet, and through his eyelids, Harry saw bursts of red and silver light shoot into the air in celebration.

Still feigning death on the ground, he understood. Narcissa knew that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. She no longer cared whether Voldemort won.

"You see?" screeched Voldemort over the tumult. "Harry Potter is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now! Watch! Crucio!"

Harry had been expecting it, knew his body would not be allowed to remain unsullied upon the forest floor; it must be subjected to humiliation to prove Voldemort's victory. He was lifted into the air, and it took all his determination to remain limp, yet the pain he expected did not come. He was thrown once, twice, three times into the air: His glasses flew off and he felt his wand slide a little beneath his robes, but he kept himself floppy and lifeless, and when he fell to the ground for the last time, the clearing echoed with jeers and shrieks of laughter.

"Now," said Voldemort, "we go to the castle, and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body? No — Wait —"

There was a fresh outbreak of laughter, and after a few moments Harry felt the ground trembling beneath him.

"You carry him," Voldemort said. "He will be nice and visible in your arms, will he not? Pick up your little friend, Hagrid. And the glasses — put on the glasses — he must be recognizable —"

Someone slammed Harry's glasses back onto his face with deliber- ate force, but the enormous hands that lifted him into the air were exceedingly gentle. Harry could feel Hagrid's arms trembling with the force of his heaving sobs; great tears splashed down upon him as Hagrid cradled Harry in his arms, and Harry did not dare, by move- ment or word, to intimate to Hagrid that all was not, yet, lost.

"Move," said Voldemort, and Hagrid stumbled forward, forcing his way through the close-growing trees, back through the forest. Branches caught at Harry's hair and robes, but he lay quiescent, his mouth lolling open, his eyes shut, and in the darkness, while the Death Eaters crowed all around them, and while Hagrid sobbed blindly, nobody looked to see whether a pulse beat in the exposed neck of Harry Potter. . . .

The two giants crashed along behind the Death Eaters; Harry could hear trees creaking and falling as they passed; they made so much din that birds rose shrieking into the sky, and even the jeers of the Death Eaters were drowned. The victorious procession marched on toward the open ground, and after a while Harry could tell, by the lightening of the darkness through his closed eyelids, that the trees were beginning to thin.

"BANE!"

Hagrid's unexpected bellow nearly forced Harry's eyes open. "Happy now, are yeh, that yeh didn' fight, yeh cowardly bunch o' nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potter's — d-dead . . . ?"

Hagrid could not continue, but broke down in fresh tears. Harry wondered how many centaurs were watching their procession pass; he dared not open his eyes to look. Some of the Death Eaters called insults at the centaurs as they left them behind. A little later, Harry sensed, by a freshening of the air, that they had reached the edge of the forest.

"Stop."

Harry thought that Hagrid must have been forced to obey Voldemort's command, because he lurched a little. And now a chill settled over them where they stood, and Harry heard the rasping breath of the dementors that patrolled the outer trees. They would not affect him now. The fact of his own survival burned inside him, a talisman against them, as though his father's stag kept guardian in his heart.

Someone passed close by Harry, and he knew that it was Voldemort himself because he spoke a moment later, his voice magically magnified so that it swelled through the grounds, crashing upon Harry's eardrums.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone!

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

There was silence in the grounds and from the castle. Voldemort was so close to him that Harry did not dare open his eyes again.

"Come," said Voldemort, and Harry heard him move ahead, and Hagrid was forced to follow. Now Harry opened his eyes a fraction, and saw Voldemort striding in front of them, wearing the great snake Nagini around his shoulders, now free of her enchanted cage. But Harry had no possibility of extracting the wand concealed under his robes without being noticed by the Death Eaters, who marched on either side of them through the slowly lightening darkness. . . .

"Harry," sobbed Hagrid. "Oh, Harry . . . Harry . . ."

Harry shut his eyes tight again. He knew that they were ap- proaching the castle and strained his ears to distinguish, above the gleeful voices of the Death Eaters and their tramping footsteps, signs of life from those within.

"Stop."

The Death Eaters came to a halt: Harry heard them spreading out in a line facing the open front doors of the school. He could see, even through his closed lids, the reddish glow that meant light streamed upon him from the entrance hall. He waited. Any mo- ment, the people for whom he had tried to die would see him, lying apparently dead, in Hagrid's arms.

"NO!"

The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound. He heard another woman laughing nearby, and knew that Bellatrix gloried in McGonagall's despair. He squinted again for a single sec- ond and saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face their vanquishers and see the truth of Harry's death for themselves. He saw Voldemort standing a little in front of him, stroking Nagini's head with a single white finger. He closed his eyes again.

"No!"

"No!"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron's, Hermione's, and Neville's voices were worse than McGonagall's; Harry wanted nothing more than to call back, yet he made himself lie silent, and their cries acted like a trigger; the crowd of survivors took up the cause, screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters, until —

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Harry felt himself lowered onto the grass.

"You see?" said Voldemort, and Harry felt him striding backward and forward right beside the place where he lay. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself —"

But Voldemort broke off: Harry heard a scuffle and a shout, then another bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain; he opened his eyes an infinitesimal amount. Someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort: Harry saw the figure hit the ground, Disarmed, Voldemort throwing the challenger's wand aside and laughing.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?" "Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists.

"So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You

will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

"Very well," said Voldemort, and Harry heard more danger in the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand. Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the half light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed ob- ject by its pointed end and it dangled, empty and ragged: the Sort- ing Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Vol- demort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for every- one. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so that it slipped down below his eyes. There were movements from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to any- one foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.

Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move, and Harry could not bear it: He must act —

And then many things happened at the same moment.

They heard uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out- of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering loud war cries.

At the same time, Grawp came lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled, "HAGGER!" His cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the earth quake. Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise. Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from inside his robes, swung it over himself, and sprang to his feet, as Neville moved too.

In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle —

The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet —

Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry cast a Shield Charm between Neville and Voldemort before the latter could raise his wand. Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid's yell came loudest of all.

"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "HARRY — WHERE'S HARRY?"

Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where; Harry saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff

scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummeled them; and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle. Harry was shooting jinxes and curses at any Death Eater he could see, and they crumpled, not knowing what or who had hit them, and their bodies were trampled by the retreating crowd.

Still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry was buffeted into the entrance hall: He was searching for Voldemort and saw him across the room, firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying left and right; Harry cast more Shield Charms, and Voldemort's would-be victims, Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott, darted past him into the Great Hall, where they joined the fight already flourishing inside it.

And now there were more, even more people storming up the front steps, and Harry saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn, who was still wearing his emerald pajamas. They seemed to have returned at the head of what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade. The centaurs Bane, Ronan, and Magorian burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.

The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers, and at their head, the locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din: "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempting to escape, but swallowed by the oncoming horde.

But it was not over yet: Harry sped between duelers, past strug- gling prisoners, and into the Great Hall.

Voldemort was in the center of the battle, and he was striking and smiting all within reach. Harry could not get a clear shot, but fought his way nearer, still invisible, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded as everyone who could walk forced their way inside.

Harry saw Yaxley slammed to the floor by George and Lee Jordan, saw Dolohov fall with a scream at Flitwick's hands, saw Walden Macnair thrown across the room by Hagrid, hit the stone wall opposite, and slide unconscious to the ground. He saw Ron and Neville bringing down Fenrir Greyback, Aberforth Stunning Rookwood, Arthur and Percy flooring Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son.

Voldemort was now dueling McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley all at once, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him —

Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she dueled three at once: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them, and Harry's attention was diverted as a Killing Curse shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch —

He changed course, running at Bellatrix rather than Voldemort, but before he had gone a few steps he was knocked sideways.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, and Harry stood, invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

"You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Harry knew what was going to happen before it did.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and almost hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile widened as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.Voldemort cackled as Molly Weasley growled in dismay.

Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion; he saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's excitement at the quick save of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.

"Protego!" roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.

The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and si- lence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, and for Harry no face existed but Voldemort's. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

"Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and the watching crowd was frozen as if Petrified, and of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but they two. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people —"

"But you did not!"

"— I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"You dare —"

"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle, and Harry knew that he kept him temporarily mesmerized and at bay, held back by the faintest possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. . . .

(Extract end)

"Is it love again, Harry? Or what other nonsense do you have for me?"taunted Voldemort.

Harry smirked.

"Nope. Something even better!"he yelled.

This piqued Voldemort's interest. "What then?"

Harry stretches his arms out wide, palms facing upwards. His dry, dark brown hair turned into a deep pitch black, his emerald eyes changed to the color of the Avada Kedavra Curse. His already pale skin paled a little further as he kept on smirking at Voldemort.

His clothes were no longer tatty and dirty. He now wore midnight black robes with the Deathly Hallows symbol on his left breast in pure white. Behind on his neck, a black tattoo of the Deathly Hallows was forever enscribed onto his skin.

Harry grinned. "I am the Master of Death, Riddle!"

His open palms unleashed magic so strong, it was hard to breathe.

Harry summoned all his Hallows. Now Lord Voldemort was left without a wand.

With a furious shriek, He yelled:

"You better watch your fucking back Harry Potter! I WILL KILL YOU EVEN IF IT IS THE LAST THING I DO!"

He then Apparated away with his remaining Death Eaters except two. Lucius and Draco Malfoy. They were spies for the Light now they were going to fight alongside Harry Potter openly.

Voldemort be damned.

——————————

Can you guys see the changes???


	9. Im Gonna Find Ya

One month later-24 June 1998

Harry had finally gotten his Creature inheritance. He was a Dominant Veela.

Today was really painful for him, since today marked the third year since Rikki's death. He had always wondered what she would be doing on the other side...

Well, until last night that was.

He recalled the dream with perfect clarity. Normally if he ever did dream about Rikki, it would be her dying in front of him.

Last night was different.

{Dream Start}

Harry was in a grassy and flowery meadow that he didn't recognize. He was clad in white. His long hair was loose. Weird...normally, he kept his hair in either a tight braid or a man bun...

"So nice that you could join me, Harrykins."said a voice that he'd thought he'd never hear again.

He turned around to see the girl of his dreams. "Rikki?"he whispered.

She smiled. "Yeah. I missed you so much."

She wrapped her arms around his torso. "I missed you too."

Harry said. He breathed her scent in.

A sudden thought came to him. "Rikki?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"How is it, that after almost three years, you can speak to me from the dead? Why not during those years?"

Rikki sighed as she sat down in front of him. Her hair had gotten longer, her eyes brighter. Her face had gotten more beautiful than he had remembered.

"Harry... don't get mad, okay?"

"Uh...okay?"

"Don't interrupt! So, I'm not actually quite dead, to be honest with you. I'm actually alive, somewhere in the world, something having to do with Forks? I wonder what eating utensils have to do with this... Anyhoo, getting diastracted here. Oh yes. Life and Death told me to return to the world of the living from Limbo. I only remember bits and pieces after that. You need to come find me Harry, and soon. My memory has been Obliviated and I don't look the same at all. If you actually want to find me, look for a guy who looks exactly like my baby bro, Day. I can't tell you anything further... I just hope that those were enough clues for you, Harry."she said.

Harry turned gleeful. "I know where you are, Rikki! You said, Forks, right? I learnt about that place during Muggle Geography class! It's a small town, so it shouldn't be hard. And to top it all off, I have a Manor there!"

Rikki squealed with giddiness.

"Going going, Mr Potter, I expect that I'll be seeing you soon,"she said in her best impression of Professor McGonagall.

{Dream End}

At least the upside to this was that he'd see Rikki very soon.

He, Hermione, Ron , The Twins (Fred didn't die at all, he just got knocked out by large chunks of debris), Neville, Blaise, Luna and the Malfoy family were moving to Forks.

They had already enrolled into the local Muggle School and had the Manor set up and habitable. They would be all going under the name, Peverell.

Yes, things were starting to go his way for once.

————————

I know absolutely nothing about how fast school enrollment works, so please, forgive me

Oh yaaaah, Don't forget to ReAd ReViEw my lovelies!


	10. Forks, Meet the Peverells Pt1

Harry POV

I had finished packing the last of my things into the lightweight, extension charmed suitcase in Grimmauld Place. Too many memories that I'll be leaving behind in England...but it'll be worth it. I don't need Moldy Voldy badgering me around, thirsting for my blood, thank you very much.

I may sound a coward, but I'm not afraid to admit it, I need to get away. We are already targets enough staying here in England with Voldemort still alive, we could easily go to another unknown country.

Molly and Arthur Weasley along with Ginny are moving to Romania to live with Charlie. Bill and Fleur are already in Egypt.

Many of the survivors are fleeing the country for their own safety. Voldemort can rule over his Death Eaters if he likes!

"_HARRY! Come on, the plane leaves at 9am! It's eight already!_" Hermione yelled from downstairs.

"Kay! Okay! Keep your knickers on! I'm coming!"

I stared around my room one last time before I flicked off the light to go downstairs.

——————


	11. Forks, Meet The Peverells Pt2

We all were bustling through the airport. People stared as we went past. No, not because we were dressed oddly or something like that, because of our beauty. I may sound vain, but it's true, we all looked beautiful.

I had learnt Legilimency during the years from a book. Now I could surpass both Dumbledore and Voldemort in that art. I'm not too bad at Occlumency.

I could hear all the Muggles' thoughts as we passed them.

_Are they celebrities?_

_I wish I could make my hair look like that!_

_They must be loaded. Just look at the clothes they're wearing..._

_I wonder if they are supermodels? They look hot._

**9am Flight**

We had seats in the first class cabin. I had a window seat, with Luna occupying the one next to me.

She had a tablet with her and was on a music app creating a new song.

I, on the other hand, was drawing a picture of Rikki in the meadow. Luckily, I had discovered my flare for drawing a few days after Voldie's retreat. I had been bored to death one day, so I went to go and find some paper and ink in Grimmauld Place.

Now, I have a bazillion drawings, that I took with me.

I heard a sharp intake of breath next to me. I turned to see my adopted kid sister's normally sky blue eyes turn a luminous purple.

Luna was a third generation Seer on her mother's side, due to her specific Creature inheritance. She was a royal Fae. Fae come into their inheritance on their sixteenth birthday. Royal Fae were nearly extinct, since they were hunted down for their Seeing abilities. Luna had to keep her inheritance hidden from the Ministry to avoid being taken.

"Hermione!" I whisper-shouted. There were a few Muggles in our cabin.

Luckily, Hermione was across from me, sitting next to her boyfriend, Blaise. She was reading while Blaise was busy napping.

She looked up from her book. "Yeah, Harry? What's wrong?"she asked. Her brows furrowed.

"Lulu's having a vision again!" I said.

"Let me warn Lucius and Cissa to put up a Silencing Ward for you guys. I'm not so good at that," said Hermione.

Hermione went and told the Malfoys. Immediately, Harry could see the tell-tale sign of the slight shimmer of a Silencing Ward.

Harry relaxed visibly. Then Luna began to speak:

"_The Heirs of Lady Life and Lord Death shall reunite. It may take some time, but it shall happen._

_Heir Life shall be adamant for the reunion for a while, but Heir Death shall prevail._

_But Heir Death, beware!_

_For not all your battles are over._

_New relationships shall be formed and old ones repaired._

_Heir Life, beware!_

_Watch your back, since those you least expect to betray you, shall do it within a heartbeat._

_The Heirs of Lady Life and Lord Death shall meet again three days after the Summer solstice..._"

Luna snapped back to reality, her eyes their normal color.

"I hate it whenever I have visions. They give me super headaches, Harry..."said Luna tiredly and she promptly fell asleep in her seat.

I gave her my neck pillow, so that she doesn't end up hurting herself by accident while asleep.

For the rest of the flight, I tried my hardest to discern what the vision meant.

—————

There's a part three ma lovez!! 3 :D


	12. Forks, Meet The Peverells Pt3

Harry POV

**Landing Time-2pm American Time.**

We had landed safely in Washington. I learnt two things on the flight.

One- Ron Weasley is terrified of plane rides.

Two-Fred George Weasley should not be allowed near any air hostesses. At all. They'll flirt with them silly.

Now we were making our way through the airport with our luggage to get to our car that we had bought earlier. A friend of Lucius' had brought it over for us.

Hermione and I were the only ones with driver's licenses on our person, so I got nominated to drive us to Peverell Manor.

**Two hours later...**

The Manor was beautiful. It had a welcoming feel to it and its exterior was painted with a creamy color and the shutters were painted an emerald green. There were acres of grass and it had at least 20 bedrooms!

There were acres of fir trees all around. Even though the sky was grey, the house stood out brightly in the gloom.

On the steel gates, inscribed on it was '_Peverell Manor_' . We managed to get past the wards and into the garage in the back.

We all got out of the car. The sight that had greeted us was amazing! There was a row of cars that looked like there was one for everyone. They even had our names inscribed onto them!

"You like?"said Lucius, smirking. Narcissa giggled.

"YEAAAAAAAH!"cheered the Weasley boys. They had Ferraris in blue(Fred), grey(George), blood orange(Ron)

"I think I died and went to car heaven!"exclaimed Draco. Blaise nodded in vigorous agreement. They had Aston Martin Vanquishes. Silver for Draco, emerald green for Blaise.

Neville stayed speechless, not taking his brown eyes away from his monster Jeep. It was a bright red color with huge tires.

Luna and Hermione squealed with happiness. They had each gotten a Porsche 911 Turbo. Hermione's was a sea green and Luna's a mix of dark pink and blue violet.

My car was the last to be unveiled. Narcissa went over to me and smiled. She gave me a bone breaking hug. (And that's saying something, it's very difficult to make Dark Veela feel pain!)

"To say thank you for keeping our family safe, Harry, we got you..."trailed off Lucius as he unveiled the car.

"A BLOODY MASERATI!?"yelled Ron.

"Omafuckingerd! You didn't have to do this for me...I just wanted to help you guys, that's all. This is too much..." I say.

Lucius and Cissa smiled. "Nothing is too much for family. Now, enjoy it. You deserve it."said Cissa

I give them a roguish grin. "Thank you!"

I take time to admire my car. It was a nice, inky black, the rims of the tyres are an Avada Kedavra green, just like my very own... Wow.

Cissa claps her hands suddenly. "Are you guys ready to see your rooms?" she asked.

"Definitely!" Was the reply.

—————

Once we had finished our tour of the house, we all settled into our rooms. My door was white with splotches of paint of varying colors all over it with my name on a gold plaque.

The inside of my room was the same as my door. The difference was that the paint glowed neon in the dark. My bed was elevated onto a ledge. You needed to climb the stairs to get to it.

My closet was already stocked up with Muggle clothes. Narcissa must have used another large room to fit all these clothes and shoes in!

I decided to take a shower before going back downstairs to relax.

My bathroom is purely glass. The toilet was made out of white porcelain along with the half-egg shaped bathtub. I stripped off to dump all my clothes onto the floor and stepped in for my shower.

—————

I had chosen to wear a hoodie in Gryffindor colors and the number of my Quidditch position on the back (good ok' no.7) for my pants, I wore black jeans with a pair of grey Converse.

I tied my hair into a bun that was in the center of my head and left wisps to frame my face.

Luckily, I had no use for the ugly, chunky glasses I used to wear since my inheritance( I destroyed them the first chance I got.

As I made my way towards the kitchen, I heard Cissa say: "Harry, dear? Could you please go to the local supermarket to buy some groceries? I want to try and make dinner!"

"Okay! Where's the money?"

"Just summon my credit card!"

"Kay! _Accio Narcissa's credit card!_" I say as I wave the Elder Wand.

I can see the card flying towards me, but I caught it deftly.

I Apparated straight into my car , opened the garage and sped off into town.

——————

Edward (Rikki) POV

I was sitting in the living room, playing the piano, when I saw Alice barge in with a giddy face.

I tried reading her mind, but she was reciting the Bible's Ten Commandments in Arabic and German.

God! She's so damn frustrating.

"What's up, Alice?" I asked her as I ceased playing the piano.

Her golden eyes had a slightly crazed look in them.

"Go to the local supermarket! Now! Buy anything! Anything at all there! Just go NOW!"she squealed as she pushed me out of the house and into the garage.

I wonder what animal blood she drank? Maybe the animal had rabies to make her act like that?

I climbed into my silver Volvo, opened the garage and sped off to town.

——————

Alice POV

Yayyy! It's finally happening!

Edward is going to meet the new kid very soon. I knew that Edward actually wasn't Edward these past few years, but I still love him.

I know that I'll end up being a part of the new family we'll form. I don't like that Bella Swan girl just as much as Rosalie. I put on a fake act to deter both Edward and her.

Really, in my opinion, Bella Swan is a needy, whiny bitch that needs to be removed from our lives.

But I think it's always the whiny bitches that are the most dangerous.

——————

Harry POV 

I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking as I bumped my trolley into someone else's. My already filled up trolley tipped some of its contents over onto the floor. I knelt down to start picking up all the groceries that had fallen.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, let me help you pick it up!"said a musical voice.

"Oh no! It's fine really—."but I got cut off as I stared into the face of the voice's owner.

The Damon look-alike. Got you, Rikki.

The lookalike frowned nervously. "Is there something wrong?"he, well _she _really, asked.

I gave him/her a bright smile. "No! It's just that I'm new to Forks. My family and I moved from the U.K today. I'm the lucky sod who got nominated for grocery duty..."

He/she laughed. "Me too. Hey, what's your name?"

"Hadrian Peverell." I replied.

"Edward Cullen." 'Edward' took his hand out to shake mine. I returned the gesture.

After we had picked up everything and finished shopping and paid for our groceries, before parting ways, I said: "Hey, um Edward...Is it okay if you show me and my siblings around the school tomorrow?"

Edward seemed to hesitate a little. "S-Sure."

"Well...Bye then!" I said awkwardly.

"Same to you..."he said nervously.

As soon as he'd gone I packed the groceries into a bag.

Tomorrow, I'm going to charm Eddie Dearest.

——————

I know absolutely zilch about how time zones work without my Geography textbook!

So please, forgive any bloopers you've spotted.

Oh yeah, don't forget to ReAd ReViEw loveys!


	13. Our Love Is Six Feet Under

Edward (Rikki) POV

That Peverell boy weirded me out a little. Sure, he seemed nice, but he didn't smell _human. _That is odd. He looked human though. If not, then what was he?

I know that I should keep my nosy tendencies under the wraps, but I couldn't. I _needed _to know about this boy. He felt...familiar. Like I've known him before.

The scary thing is...I couldn't read his mind! No except Bella should be able to do that. No one.

Maybe I could skip a night of staying in Bella's room to watch this new stranger?

Yup. Definitely going to do it.

——————

**24 June 1998, 16h43**

I had finished depositing all the groceries in their respective places.

I decided to drift back to my piano, a stroke of inspiration waiting to bloom.

As I began to play, I couldn't hear anything else. I was in my meadow, but I wasn't ahlone. Two other people clad in white, were dancing to some unearthly music. If I could still cry, I would. That music was the purest sound that I've ever heard.

I recognized one of the figures. The mysterious Hadrian Peverell. The other was a girl with hair as bronze as mine, but her eyes were liquid silver.

As they spun, I could make out a mark on the backs of their necks. Hadrian had some weird triangle shape with a circle in it and a vertical line cutting through it. The girl's hair was tied up in a delicate looking bun. On the back of her neck, I could see a circle with a triangle inside it and the same vertical line cutting through.

Weird...

For some weird reason, I began to sing as I watched those two dance.

"_Help, I lost myself again _

_But I remember you..._

_Don't come back, _

_It won't end well,_

_But I wish you told me to._

_Our love is six feet under,_

_And I can't help but wonder,_

_If our grave was watered by the rain,_

_Would roses bloom?_

_Could roses bloom?_

_...Again?_

_You traced my lips,_

_You raised your touch._

_It's all to much for me._

_But love awakes like smoke in air_

_How can you die carelessly?_

_Our love is six feet under,_

_And I can't help but wonder,_

_If our grave was watered by the rain,_

_Would roses bloom?_

_Could roses bloom?_

_They're playing us down—_

_Playing us down tonight..._

_And all of these clouds,_

_Running us back to love,_

_But you're cold as and I._

_Our love is six feet under,_

_And I can't help but wonder,_

_If our grave was watered by the rain..._

_Bloom..._

_Bloom..._

_Again?_

**[Six Feet Under-Billie Eilish]**

I felt someone tapping my shoulder and started badly.

"Sorry, Edward! I didn't mean to scare you!"said my adoptive mother, Esme.

I smiled at her. "No worries Mom. What's wrong?"

She giggled. "It's just that... I have never heard you sing before, Ed. Your voice is so beautiful!"she exclaimed.

Huh? I was singing out loud?

"I sang out loud?"I asked in disbelief.

Just then, Emmett decided to pop in his two cents. "Yeah you did, baby bro. You aren't bad actually!" He then resumed to watching football on the flatscreen.

"Yes. You're quite good Edward."said Jasper, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"Where'd you learn to sing like that?"asked Rosalie curiously.

"My biological mother had me learn to sing since I was five years old...from what I remember."

"Oh."

I looked around to find no Alice. Where was that girl?

"Where's Alice?"I asked.

"Shopping with Isabitcha—I mean Bella! Bella!"said Rosalie as she saw my death glare.

"Sure you did Rosie."chuckled Emmett.

"Shut up!"Rosalie yelled back.

—————————


	14. First Day Of Muggle School! Pt1

A/N: I don't give a damn about whether IPads were invented in 100AD or 3012. This a fanfic remember!

Harry POV

I shrieked blue murder as I felt a jet of cold water hit my face.

"What the BLOODY HELL was THAT for?!"I yelled.

"You-."

"Should-."

"Put-."

"Up-."

"Better-."

"Wards!"said Gred and Forge. It was too early in the morning to tell who was who.

"You did not answer my question. WHAT. THE. BLOODY HELL. WAS THAT FOR YOU BITCHES?!"

"Whoa!"

"Calm down Harry."

"Cissykins said to wake you up. You have half an hour til breakfast."

I turned to look at my Muggle digital clock. 6:30, it read. I groaned.

"Please get out of my room!" I barked out.

Gred and Forge did so gladly.

——————

Half an hour later...

I had decided to wear a black Armani leather jacket with an emerald green sleeveless hoodie underneath to protect my hair against any rain. I wore artfully faded torn blue jeans with a pair of black Converse. I tied up my hair into its usual style that I wore it.

I hope that this was enough to impress 'Edward'.

I quickly packed all I needed for school into my Feather Light secretly expanded dragon hide backpack. I decided to add in my IPad with my IPhone and headphones inside too.

I slammed the door shut as I made my way down the numerous flights of stairs to get to the Dining Room.

Hermione, Luna, Blaise, Neville and the Twins were already eating their breakfast of waffles and orange juice.

Lucius and Narcissa were reading the American Wizarding newspaper: The Daily Herald.

"So nice that you could join us Hadrian. Take three waffles and eat them on the way. You guys have a half hour drive to get to the school."said Narcissa.

Oooh. If Cissy ever used my full name, she was ticked off!

Just then, Draco and Ron burst into the room, out of breath.

Same process went through with them.

We immediately went to the garage to get into our respective cars after that hasty breakfast, opened the door and drove off to the school.

——————


	15. First Day Of Muggle School! Pt2

**A/N: Thanks to Sakura Lisel and lily-flower15 for my first reviews! Love you guys!**

**To Sakura Lisel: I know that I hadn't mentioned St. Ginny that much, but to make it up to you, she tried, she crashed, she burned. **

**But she is going to be featured in the story a lot. In the next chapter maybe...**

**Anyhoo...on with the story!**

———————

Harry POV

As we drove into the parking lot, with me in the lead, the Muggle teens were staring at our cars. Of course they couldn't see _inside, _since the windows were tinted to an almost illegal black. But we could see out.

Their cars weren't impressive at all. Not to be rude or anything, but this town seemed like a place where everyone knew everyone else and grew up together and all that shit.

I saw 'Edward' and his crew near the end of the parking lot. Their spot was almost empty, so I led everyone there.

Suddenly, Hermione's voice broke through my mindscape.

'_You really want to make a dramatic entrance, don't you Harry?_' she said jokingly.

'_Always the show off, Potter._'said Malfoy, injecting his two Knuts in.

'_So? We got the glitz. We got the glam. Why ever not you guys?' _I said through the mind connection.

——————

3rd Person POV

As Harry and the rest the Peverell kids stepped out, they immediately started chatting with the Cullens.

Harry said to Edward: "Hello again! Are you going to keep that promise you gave me yesterday.

Edward smirked. "Sure, Peverell. Let's go."

——————

As the two families mixed, Bella felt left out.

_How did Edward know this guy?_, she mused. She felt yet again insignificant against the two new girls, Harmony and Lumina from what they had introduced themselves as, because they looked just as pretty as Rosalie and Alice.

They had on similar outfits, Harmony wearing a dark blue jeans, with a red and gold hoodie that looked like she supported some sports team. It had the number 4 on the back with her name on the shoulders. She had on a pair of light green Converse. Her golden brown hair was cut off at shoulder length, ending with a slight inward curl at the end.

Lumina's one was blue and bronze with a number 3 on the back.She had faded blue jeans with neon purple Converse. Her blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail that was fashionably untidy.

She got snapped out of her reprieve as Harmony asked her a question.

She shook her head to clear it and said: "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Lumina tittered. "I asked you if you were a junior or a senior."said Harmony. She slung her green leather bag over her shoulders.

I blushed. "Oh! I'm a junior. What are you?" I replied.

"So are we, along with Drake, Rian, Nathan and Ron. Gred and Forge, along with Blaise are seniors."

Lumina said.

Bella was confused for a moment. "Who's Gred and Forge?"she asked.

"Sorry! I forgot to tell you, it's what we call those two redheaded twins. Their actual names are Fred and George. We only call them that when we can't tell who is who."explained Harmony.

Suddenly, Alice piped up. "Can I ask you guys a question?"

"Sure!"said Lumina.

"I hope it's not offensive...but are you guys adopted?"

Harmony smiled at her. "Not all of us. Harry, Lumina and Drake are our parents, Lucius and Narcissa's actual children. Harry and Drake are fraternal twins while Lumina is their younger sister. Nathan and I are also twins, while the redheads are brothers, they are also adopted with Blaise."

"But so many sets of twins though!"exclaimed Rosalie.

Lumina giggled. "I know! Triple the trouble at home!"

Bella stared at Rosalie in surprise. Rosalie never so much as smiled in public and she hated humans! Why was she getting along with two of them so well? And Alice too! Alice was supposed to be her friend! She just met these girls and already she's talking with them as if they'd known each other forever! They were leaving her out of the conversation. Sure, she didn't like cars, but at least include her in it.

She looked to where Edward was talking with the other guys. He was laughing and everything. He was never like that with her! And why the HELL was that Hadrian kid getting too touchy feely with what was hers?! Was he gay or something? Edward was HER life mate. He'd make her beautiful and immortal just like Rosalie and Alice! He has too.

These kids practically spelt trouble!

——————

**There's a part threeeeeeee! LoLz ;D**


	16. First Day At Muggle School Pt3

**To: Icyo**

**Rikki will go back to being a girl a little bit later, don't worry!**

Harry POV

I had Biology with 'Edward' for my first lesson. The teacher, Mr Banner (guys I'm fudging this, can't really remember his name) had Draco, Hermione and I introduce ourselves to the class.

"So, which one of you three want to go first?"he asked.

"I will,"I replied from near the door.

"Come on then, sonny."

I step up to the front of the class to see everyone's eyes glued to me. Looks like they're already attracted to the British accent.

I smirk.

"Hello, name is Hadrian Jamieson Malfoy-Peverell . I'm eighteen years old, I was born on the 31st of July 1980. I come from England. My parents are Lord and Lady Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy-Peverell, I am the Heir to five titles, I used to go to a special school for the gifted in Scotland and...let's see... I like to draw, sing, play any sports and riding on my motorcycle."

The whole class was shellshocked. I scanned their minds to see their thoughts.

I received jealousy, lust, longing and mostly surprise from the Americans. That Bella girl, even though she has some form of Occlumency, my mind is stronger. I can hear her jealousy loudly and really, it annoyed me.

Edward was interested and I saw wanting to get to know me better...interesting.

"L-Lord? H-He-eir? Really, Mr Malfoy-Peverell?"stuttered Mr Banner.

"Yup. All of my siblings are, but they have a title each."

"Wow..."

"Where can I sit? This place looks full..." I said.

"Sit next to Mr Cullen, the one with the bronze hair. Miss Swan, please sit next to Crowley and Newton."said Mr Banner.

"But Mr Banner! I—."protested the girl.

"No buts! Move!"

Bella shut her mouth and slunk off to collect her bag.

I moved to the back, everyone's eyes following me as I sat the back. Edward didn't even look properly sad that his girlfriend was gone. He was grinning widely at me. I grinned back.

"So...you wanna sit with us for lunch?"he asked.

"Sure!"

I didn't notice a pair of murderous brown eyes glaring holes into me.


	17. Lunch With The Cullens

**10h04**

**Harry POV **

It was lunch time and Hermione, Draco and I were sitting with the Cullens. Blaise and the Twins were sitting with Mike Newton and his crew while Neville, Luna and Ron were sitting with a nice girl named Angela and her friends. Ron seemed very taken with her, judging from the way they were talking. Luna and a short brown haired girl named Jessica were giggling and laughing a lot while Neville was talking with the rest of the table.

Eyes were on us the whole day, but to admit, it was boring. I had thought that Muggle School would be a bit fun, but I think that I'll return to Hogwarts when it's finished being rebuilt to complete my NEWTs.

I snapped out of my musings as the black haired girl, Alice asked me a question.

"So, Hadrian, what's it like living in England? Is it cold all year?"she asked.

"Not really, if you were born there. Been there my whole life until now, you get used to it,"I replied.

"What school did you all go to before FHS?"

"A school for the gifted called Trevorton. There were lots of wonderful things in the curriculum there. It admits people from 11 years old to 18 years old. There was even a competition in my Fourth Year there that I participated in. But a tragedy happened. One of my best friends died in the last challenge. It was horrible honestly, sometimes... I kind of blame myself."

Hermione frowned at me. "Rian, don't go all mopey in me again!"she chided.

"What happened to Rikki wasn't your fault. It's been four years, dude. She'd want you to be happy,"Draco said.

"Actually, I think she'd hit you over the head with a broom!"giggled Hermione.

**Third Person POV**

Edward laughed. "This Rikki girl sounds funny. But what had happened to her?"he asked. The rest of the Cullens stared at their brother. Normally, he would shy away from humans, mope and brood, spend too much time with the irritating Swan girl. They only put up with her for him.

Harry smiled at Edward. "Wait,"he said as he dug around in his bag to look for his phone. When he had finally found it, unlocked it and went to his photo gallery. He had used Dumbledore's Pensieve to store his memories, go through them and take pictures of them using his phone.

He scrolled through until he found a picture with him and Rikki in the orchard at Diggory Manor during the summer before Fourth Year.

They both looked so happy together. It was only then Harry had started developing feelings for the grey eyed girl.

He handed the phone over to Edward to let everyone have a look.

"She looks so pretty,"Jasper commented idly.

"She died when some crazed loon came in with a gun and started shooting at everyone. She was on a very high obstacle when a bullet hit her heart and she fell from the air. There was no chance to save her. She died as soon as she hit the ground..."he muttered, his eyes misting his over.

Rosalie reached over Hermione to pat Harry. That raised a few eyebrows at the table.

Rosalie normally hated humans, but something about Hadrian was different. He was very likeable and seemed like a sort of baby brother to her for some reason.

"Don't be sad, Hadrian. Rikki is probably in a better place now."she soothed.

Harry laughed.

"Rikki always said that if she ever died, she'd want to go to Hell,"Hermione giggled.

The Cullens looked confused.

"Why would she want to do that ?"asked Emmett incredulously.

"She said that Hell sounds way more fun than being a Goody-Two-Shoes Angel. And the grief she gave the professors at our old school...She was put in detention every other day with those twins with Mike Newton, Fred and George, because of their pranks. They turned our Chemistry teacher, Professor Snape's hair neon green once!"said Harry.

Emmett gave a booming laugh. Heads turned to their direction in confusion and looked surprised when they saw the huge Emmett Cullen laughing.

"Too bad she's no longer here. She sounds like my new favorite human."

Bella gave a sharp intake of breath. Wasn't SHE Emmett's favorite human? Some dead bitch had to go and take her place!

And what's with these Peverell kids? They waltz into the school like they own it and now that boy named Hayden or something like that was getting too cozy with her boyfriend!

Was he some kind of faggot? And Edward was also letting him get too close! Didn't he love her?

Well, fuck them both!

—————-

**Thank you guys lots for following, favoriting and reviewing this story! Love ya lots o**


	18. Thanks For The Memories! Pt1

**Location-School Parking Lot**

**Harry POV**

After School 

"Hadrian?"Edward asked me as we were walking to our cars. The Swan girl was walking with the other girls a little way behind us. She didn't participate in the conversation, she just listened and smiled.

Irritating girl.

I turned to smile at Edward. "Yuh?" I reply.

He frowned at me and whispered: "Look, I've been watching you all day and I can tell that none of you are fully human. You all don't smell right...What are you guys exactly?"

I smirked. "Clever vampire!" I hissed back at him. Edward gasped. The other Cullens also reacted the same and were now half listening to our half inaudible conversation.

Edward grasped a hand around my wrist and started to squeeze.

"How do you know what I am?!"he growled when we had reached the cars.

"I won't tell you what I am and anything else I know about you in front of your little girlfriend. The Muggle needs to go home," I growled back.

"Fine, she's gonna put up a fight though,"Edward said.

I gave him a smug smile. "That's a YOU problem, not a WE problem, my dear."

He huffed. "Come around at midnight." Was all he said before he got into the Volvo with his stupid little Muggle.

I didn't give him the pleasure of a reply. I simply got into my car and drove off as fast as I could.

————

"WHAT THE FUCK, SCARHEAD?!"Draco's voice greeted me from outside my door.

"Draco!"Cissy's voice exclaimed.

"Sorry, Mother,"apologized Draco. "But I have every right to swear at Potter right now!"he growled.

"Why?"Lucius asked.

"We met Vampires at the Muggle High School today. He went and told them that he knew what they were!"Blaise said.

"Now we ALL have to go meet them at midnight tonight to explain how we know,"Hermione groused.

"I need my sleep!"whined Ron. "I need to look good for Angela tomorrow!"

"Ooooh!"Neville started to tease.

"Ronnie and Angie—"began Luna.

"Sitting in—"carried on Gred.

"A tree!"said Forge.

"K-I-S-S-I-Can't-Remember-The-Rest!"sang Blaise.

"First comes LOOOVE!"Draco sang on.

"Then comes MAAAARRIAGE!"Hermione chirped.

"And then comes Angie and Rooooon with a BAAAABY CARRIAGE!" I ended.

"Shut up you guys!"yelled Ron.

"NOOOOO!"We chorused. He huffed.

"ANYWAY, getting back to the CURRENT situation, now you guys are telling us that we have to go to the Vampires' house? What're their names?"Narcissa asked, changing the subject as she raised her voice to make sure I heard her from the other side.

"Yes! They're the Cullens. They're vegetarian, judging from the color of their eyes. Professor Lupin taught us about Vampires in third year. They live in the outskirts of town..."I said from my comfy bed, laying down on my back.

"The Cullens?! Oh dear, I just LOVE the mother! She and I had a nice tea time together earlier today. I wondered why she wasn't eating! I could have accommodated her special needs!"squeaked Narcissa.

Sometimes, women are weird...

"What about the one that looked too much like Damon? Are they interrelated in some way?"Hermione asked.

"Yes, and you'll find out how at midnight," I replied. "So I'd suggest you do your homework and get some sleep before then or you'll be dead on your feet tomorrow."

"Kay, byyyye Haaarrry! Guys, let's go!"came Luna's voice from outside my room.

I said nothing as the footsteps died away.

Location- Cullen House, outskirts of Forks

Time:22h07

3rd Person POV

Edward was sitting on the modern style couch in between his mother, Esme and his sister Alice. He had already left Bella's bedroom half an hour earlier so he

could be able to be there on time to meet the mysterious Hadrian Peverell and his family.

Right now, most of his family were stressing. He didn't feel anything. Just numbness.

But something told him that what Hadrian was going to disclose to them was a very good thing.

"How did this kid even find out what we are from just a few hours?!"exclaimed Emmett, snapping Edward back to reality.

"I wonder if he's a threat though?..."mused Jasper.

"No, I met their mother, Narcissa Peverell. I had tea with her earlier today after meeting her at the supermarket when I was shopping for Bella. She's a kind but very perceptive woman. She noticed when I didn't eat anything..."said Esme.

"Really? And she just dismissed it?"asked Carlisle interestedly.

"Yes."

"Guys, I don't see them as a threat. And I know what they want to speak about...but I shouldn't tell you. Eddie, don't even think about reading my mind!"Alice warned him.

"Jeez, I won't..."he replied in mock hurt. Then something he had noticed earlier today came back to him.

"I can't read his mind, none of the Peverells minds. All I get are blanks when I try,"he said. "They're protecting their thoughts somehow..."

"And you decide not to tell us this sooner?!"Rosalie half screeched.

"No, I simply forgot to tell you,"Edward stated.

Rosalie huffed.

He had taken down Hadrian's phone number at the High School so he'd be warned if they came early. His phone started to ring. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the Caller ID. _Rian_, it read.

He answered.

"We decided to come early. We can't wait any longer, meet us in the clearing in the woods. Remember, the Muggle better not be there..." Hadrian's voice said from the receiver.

"We're on our way,"Edward replied.

The Cullen clan all jumped out of the open window.

**3 Minutes later...**

**Harry POV **

I was standing smack bang in the middle of the moonlit field, wearing a black polo neck shirt and tight black jeans with my ankle length black Nike Air Force Ones.

(I have a pair. They're sooo comfy)

All the other males in our party were dressed similarly, and the women wearing knee length black long sleeved dresses and black glossy pumps.

I used my enhanced hearing to sense the Cullens. As I heard fast footfalls coming in hot I said in a voice loud enough to carry to my family behind me:

"They're here."

I put on Dumbledore-ish smile as soon as they appeared in the trees.

"Welcome!"

**Third Person POV**

The Cullens stared at the large family.

Edward stepped forwards as the spokesman for the Cullens this time.

"Peverell."he said in acknowledgment. "This my whole family, the Cullens. My father and mother, Carlisle and Esme. My sisters, Rosalie and Alice. My brothers, Emmett and Jasper. As you figured out, we are vampires. Now give us the pleasure of telling us who you guys are."

Harry smirked. "My name is not really Peverell, but it is my ancestral name for I am descended from them. My true name is Harry James Potter. My family are wizards and witches—"

"Ohh, do you have all the wand waving stuff too?"said Emmett, cutting Harry off.

"Do not interrupt please. I will demonstrate when I am done explaining."Harry scolded.

"Sorry,"Emmett said sheepishly.

"Anyway...Lucius and Narcissa are not any of our biological parents except for Draco. The rest of us are friends from school escaping from a war. Harmony is actually Hermione Granger, one of my best friends. Lumina is actually Luna Lovegood, a Seer, Blaise is actually Blaise Zabini, Nathan is Neville Longbottom, Ron, Fred and George are the Weasley brothers. Lucius, Narcissa and Draco are the Malfoys. The rest can be explained better if I could show you our memories. I have a shrunken down Pensieve. It a basin that stores memories."

The Cullens found the news too much to process. They stared in wonderment as Harry pulled out the shrunken basin out of his pocket, enlarged it and tipped numerous vials of a silvery substance inside it as it hovered in midair.

"One of these memories are from Rikki as she died. She came to me in a dream and told me to share it with you...Well then, stick your heads in!"Harry chirped.

The Cullens did as they were told.

-_Memory One-_

_(Let's just fast-Forward past the first meeting of Hagrid and go straight to the train ride. MY VERSION)_

_The Cullens watched on as they saw an 11 year old black haired boy with clothes a few sizes too big sat in a compartment in the Hogwarts Express , staring at the window._

_"That must be Harry,"Alice murmured._

_Just then, another eleven year old boy whose hair was red walked in, struggling with his trunk. He smiled at Harry and said:_

_"Hello, can I sit here? Everywhere's full."_

_Memory Harry smiled. "Sure."_

_The redhead boy put his trunk on a rack and sat across from Harry. _

_"My name's Ron Weasley, what's your name?"he said._

_"Harry Potter."Harry replied and shook Ron's hand._

_Ron gasped. "You're THE Harry Potter?! D-Do you have the scar?"he whispered._

_"Yeah!"Harry said and moved his fringe out of the way to show him his scar._

_"Wow..."exclaimed Ron._

_"They look so cute!"cooed Esme._

_They got candy from the trolley witch and were halfway done eating it when Ron was busy demonstrating a spell to Harry when a brown bushy haired girl already decked out in her uniform waltzed in without knocking in the compartment with a sniffling brown haired boy behind her._

_"Hello. Have you seen a toad? This boy Neville lost one,"she said to the other boys, pointing to Neville._

_"THAT'S Neville?! But he looks so buff now!"exclaimed Emmett._

_Everyone shushed him._

_The girl finally noticed Ron holding his wand and Scabbers, his rat._

_"Are you doing a spell? Let's see then!"she said interestedly._

_Ron scrunched up his nose in a slight sneer and said:_

_"Okay then!"_

_Ron coughed and pointed his wand at Scabbers and said: "It's a spell my brothers taught me. Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!*"_

_Nothing happened. The girl snickered. "That wasn't a spell wasn't it?"She tittered._

_"Shush you!"Ron said. The girl huffed. "You do one."_

_"Sure. For example:Occulus Reparo !"she said, pointing her wand at Harry's glasses. Immediately they were fixed. Ron scowled. She ignored him and turned to Harry. She gasped._

_"Holy Crickets! You're Harry Potter! I've read every single book about you! Did you know, you were the only person ever alive to survive the Killing Curse?"she gushed._

_"So I have been told. What is your name?"_

_"Hermione Granger!"_

_"Well then go away!" Ron growled. The Cullens gasped as Neville and Hermione exited the compartment._

_A few minutes later, Fred and George, along with Rikki came in._

_"We heard Harry Potter was on the train,"said Rikki._

_"Do you know where he is?"_

_"Who's asking?"Harry said._

_"Why the Demons of Hogwarts of course!"said Rikki._

_"We're—"_

_"The banes—"_

_"Of the—"_

_"Professors' existences!"Gred and Forge said._

_"The Rikki girl looks kind, but like a devil in an angel's garments though!"chuckled Rosalie._

_"I'm Rikki Diggory. My partners in crime are Fred and George Weasley as ickle Ronniekins knows well enough!"Rikki said._

_"Shut up, Ced-ri-KAH!"Ron hissed back_

_"Don't you call me that Ronniekins or I'll get Lee Jordan's pet tarantula to pay a visit..."she threatened._

_Ron paled visibly while Harry looked confused. "Why don't you like your name? Cedrikah sounds nice."_

_Rikki blushed a little as she said: "You would too if your fool of a mother named you Cedrikah ."_

_Harry nodded sagely, understanding her situation._

_"See—"_

_"You—"_

_"At—"_

_"Hogwarts!"the Twins said before leaving with Rikki._

_-Memory Two-_

_(Fast forward through first year and a chunk of second year, ending up at the Heir of Slytherin shit)_

_The Cullens watched as Rikki and Harry were walking down a corridor in the castle. Harry was now twelve and Rikki fifteen._

_"Harry, I don't care if anyone says shit about me. I know that you aren't the Heir of Slytherin and the other kids in school are foolish to think so! I'll stick by you no matter what..."Rikki said._

_"Rikki, you don't get it. I hate the looks of fear everyone gives me. It's tiring me out..."said Harry sullenly._

_Rikki gave him a hug. "Don't worry. All will be fine..."she whispered._

_"Awww!"all the Cullen women cried as they melted._

_Carries on til end of year_

_-Memory Three-_

_(Fast forward to the infamous Quidditch Game, MY WAY)_

_The Cullens found themselves in the stands of the Gryffindor Side of the Quidditch Pitch and watched the game._

_"This game looks awesome!"Jasper yelled over the din of the noise. _

_Lee Jordan's Magically magnified voice could be heard in the stands . "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch game. On our Gryffindor side, we have our fabulous Chasers, the beautiful Bell, the speedy Spinnet and the lovely Johnson, who I have been trying to get to date me for a while now..."_

_"JORDAN!"came McGonagall's voice._

_"Sorry Professor McGonagall! Anyway, then we have our fantastic Beaters, Gred and Forge, I can't tell who's who! Then our awesome Keeper and Captain of the Quidditch Gryffindor team, Wood! But last but not least, the person who was dubbed the youngest Quidditch Seeker in the century, the person who no one can beat, HAAAARRRRY POOOOTTEEERRR!!"_

_Loud cheers ensued as the Gryffindor Team rode around in circles._

_"...and our beautimous Demoness of Hogwarts as the Quidditch Captain for Hufflepuff and the Seeker, RIIIIKKIIII DIIIIGGOOORRRY!!"_

_More cheering._

_Game carried on in the same fashion as canon now._

_-Memory Four-_

_(Skip to Halloween in GoF when Champions are called out)_

_The Cullens found themselves in the Great Hall._

_Albus Dumbledore was standing at his podium, smiling jovially._

_"And now to announce the Champions!"_

_He went over to the Goblet as the blue fire flared red._

_A piece of parchment flew out._

_"And the Champion for Beauxbatons is...Miss Fleur Delacour!"polite clapping came from the school in blue as the Veela walked up._

_"The Champion for Durmstrang is...Viktor Krum!" _

_"And the Hogwarts Champion is...Rikki Diggory!"_

_Large amounts of cheering for her as she cartwheeled to the front._

_The Goblet flared to life again._

_Everyone stared in a tense silence as Dumbledore read the name on the parchment. "Harry Potter."_

_Carries on in canon until:_

_The Cullens were in a maze._

_Harry could see the cup within sight. But he may not make it in time though. A few seconds later, he heard a rustling coming from behind him. He quickly turned around to see his best friend, Rikki Diggory tumble out of a hedge in the maze._

_He laughed. _

_"Don't laugh at me Harry! It's not funny! Imagine yourself getting swallowed up by a bloody hedge, you dolt!"growled Rikki. _

_Her normally sleek wavy dark bronze hair was mussed up and looked like Hermione on a really bad hair day. There were twigs and leaves all over that birds nest._

_Her liquid silver eyes were alight with excitement. She hadn't seen the Triwizard Cup yet, since Harry was obstructing it from view. _

_"Are we near the center?"she asked him._

_Harry stepped aside to reveal the Cup. He smirked at her and turned around and began to run. Rikki immediately followed in pursuit._

_Out of nowhere, an Acromantula spider appeared and scratched Harry's leg. The cut was almost bone deep before Rikki had Stunned it._

_Rikki giggled. "That's what you get for trying to outrun me, Harrykins." Then her joking demeanor changed to a serious one. She helped him up from the floor and supported half of his body weight on her. She helped him hobble over to the Cup and said :_

_"You should take the trophy, Harry. You deserve it more than I do. You got here first too! Take it..."she said softly._

_Harry stared at her incredulously. He moved away from her and suddenly said:_

_(Next is an extract from GoF. Of course things are going to be changed a little. Derrr!)_

_"Both of us,"said Harry._

_"What?"_

_"We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."_

_Rikki stared at Harry. She unfolded her arms. "You—you sure?"_

_"Yeah,"said Harry. "Yeah...we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."_

_For a moment, Rikki looked as though she couldn't believe her ears; then her face split in a grin._

_"You're on,"she said. "Come here."_

_She grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder, and helped him limp towards the ceiling plinth where the Cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held out a hand over one of the Cup's gleaming handles._

_"On three, right?"said Harry. "One—two—three—."_

_He and Rikki both grasped a handle._

_Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onwards, in a howl of swirling colour, Rikki at his side, the Cullens following suit._

___

_They landed in their new destination in a heap, with Rikki on top of Harry, the Cullens next to them._

_"This is where she dies..."Alice whispered in a horrified voice._

_Harry blushed a faint scarlet as he felt Rikki's body against his own._

_Rikki, seemingly oblivious to their position, asked him: "Where the fuck are we?"_

_"Hehehh...I-I don't know."_

_They took in their surroundings and found themselves in a spooky looking graveyard. That was...weird._

_Rikki stood up and helped Harry to stand._

_"Do you think that this is another thing in the task?"asked Harry._

_"Nah, I don't think so..." Rikki replied._

_Suddenly, a tombstone a tombstone near them explodes. Rikki managed to pull Harry out the way as chunks of stone start flying everywhere. _

_They all find themselves in a clearing with graves encircling them._

_That is when they hear the voice that will be forever imbedded into their memory._

_"Kill the spare!" the disembodied voice hisses from behind them._

_Rikki quickly turned around to face the voice._

_She could see the green light of the Avada Kedavra Curse rushing towards her._

_She knew that it was her time to die._

_With a cry before she crumpled to the ground, Rikki cried her beloved's name. "HARRY!"_

_And she was no more. Esme gave a dry sob._

___

_The Cullens could see Harry's heart just broke as he saw Rikki's unseeing, now dull silver eyes. _

_They say that one looks peaceful in death, but with Rikki, that statement is a lie. She looked as if she was still troubled, like as if she had some unfinished business to be done. Of course she did! She never got the chance to live out her bloody life!_

_Harry couldn't move. All he could do was stare at her._

_They could see a jet of flying towards Harry suddenly flying towards me. His emerald eyes widened as it struck him squarely in the chest and he knew no more._

___

_They could smell the strong scents of different potions lingering in the air. Harry open my eyes to see Pettigrew near a HUGE cauldron plopping questionable things into it._

_His arms were bound to some statue, there was no free movement allowed. _

_"Don't try escaping Harry. You'll join your little girlfriend soon enough." a voice that Harry knew well. _

_He heard it long enough in his dreams to not recognize it._

_"She's not my girlfriend, you bastard! Just...my best friend. Why the fuck am I even SPEAKING to YOU?!" Harry yelled._

_The homonculus cackled from where it was on the ground._

_Harry's scar started to prickle._

_Peter began the resurrection ritual._

_"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you shall resurrect your son!" A bone from the grave he was tied to flew out and landed into the palm of Peter's outstretched one. He dropped it into the cauldron._

_"Blood of the enemy, forcibly given, you shall resurrect your foe!" Peter went over to Harry with a shiny silver dagger and cut him on his right forearm._

_Harry yelled in agony. He could feel his own blood running down his arm._

_Peter went back to the cauldron and tipped the blood that had made it onto the dagger. The liquid fizzed a royal blue._

_"F-Flesh of t-the servant, willingly given, you shall resurrect your master!" Harry watched in morbid fascination as he cut off his right hand. Peter blubbered as he held his severed hand and stared at his bleeding stump._

_He dropped his hand and the liquid in the cauldron turned a poisonous green._

_Harry could feel the disfigured baby creature's excitement. It sickened him, the excitement actually was almost borderline sexual pleasure._

_"Put me in the cauldron Wormtail!"the humanoid demanded._

_Wormtail immediately complied._

_That was when Harry's scar felt as if it were bursting. He could do nothing except shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth._

_'Let it drown, please let it drown! Let it drown dear God, I beg you!' Harry thought frantically. Normally, he wasn't one to believe in God, but right now, he needed all the help he could ask for._

_But his prayers were not answered._

_The liquid turned into a blinding white, with a tall figure stepping out._

_With his chocolate colored hair ,perfectly sculpted pale body, aristocratic features and ruby eyes,_

_Lord Voldemort had risen again._

___

_The Cullens watched as the handsome man stood up._

_He was more beautiful than all of them combined._

_"Robe me, Wormtail,"said Voldemort._

_Immediately, Wormtail responded and put on a dark grey robe onto the Dark Lord._

_"Where's my wand Wormtail?" Voldemort hissed._

_"H-Here M-M-My Lord."_

_Voldemort snatched his wand away from Wormtail and caressed it lovingly, with long, elegant fingers._

_He looked straight at Harry and smirked. "Thought I'd look like some weird snake-human hybrid, didn't you, Harry?"he said._

_Harry snorted. "To be honest, yes, I did."_

_That got a cackle from the Dark Lord. "You know, Harry...my offer still stands. You could be a great wizard if you just let me help you. You could join me, not as a Death Eater, rather, an equal. Think about it..."murmured Voldemort, not taking his ruby eyes off Harry._

_Harry knew instantly what the Dark Lord was hinting at. It disgusted him._

_"No thanks! I'm not into guys. And why would I pick you anyway? And you killed my parents, you bloody psycho!"he replied snappily._

_Voldemort's eyes narrowed until they were slits and pursed his mouth into a thin line._

_"Fine,"he said darkly. "Have it your way. Lord Voldemort doesn't give third chances."_

_He then turned to Wormtail. "Give me your arm!"he snapped. _

_Wormtail held out his stump, Voldemort gave him a sickly sweet smile. "No, Wormtail. Your other one."he said as he grabbed Peter's left arm and pulled up the robe sleeve to reveal a pitch black Dark Mark._

_He put the tip of his wand on the Mark and said "Morsmordre". _

_"I wonder how many will be brave enough to return when they feel the Mark burn? And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"said Voldemort, as if he were discussing the weather._

_Peter gave a pitiful wail as his Mark burned. Soon, cracks of Apparation could be heard._

_Harry, Voldemort and Peter were soon encircled by Death Eaters._

_Voldemort began to speak as he looked at Harry again: _

_Extract-_

_"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father,"he hissed softly. "A Muggle and a fool...very like your dear mother. They both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child...and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death..."_

_-end_

_Voldemort laughed. The Death Eaters stared silently in fear as they watched their master, Nagini circling around Harry's feet near the grass._

_Wormtail, his stump still bleeding ,albeit sluggishly, crawled over to Voldemort and kissed the hem of his robes._

_Extract_

_The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle s grave, Harry, Voldemort, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered._

_"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly._

_"Thirteen years. . . thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"_

_He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. "I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench or guilt upon the air._

_A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him._

_"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! and I ask myself . . . why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"_

_No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm._

_"And I answer myself," whispered Voldemort, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. . . ._

_"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?_

_"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort. . . perhaps they now pay allegiance to another . . . perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"_

_At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them._

_"It is a disappointment to me ... I confess myself disappointed. . . ."_

_One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet._

_"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!" Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand._

_"Crucio!"_

_The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around. . . . Let the police come, he thought desperately . . . anyone . .. anything. . ._

_Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping._

_"Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years ... I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?"_

_He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob._

_"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"_

_"Yes, Master," moaned Wormtail, "please. Master . . . please ..."_

_"Yet you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me ... and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers... ."_

_Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtails bleeding wrist._

_Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder._

_"My Lord," he whispered. "Master ... it is beautiful. . . thank you... thank you. ..." He scrambled forward on his _

_knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. "May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail," said Voldemort._

_"No, my Lord . . . never, my Lord . . ."_

_Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right._

_"Lucius, my slippery friend," he whispered, halting before him. "I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius. . . . Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay. . . but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?"_

_"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -"_

_"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius. . . . You have disappointed me. ... I expect more faithful service in the future."_

_"Of course, my Lord, of course. . . . You are merciful, thank you. ..."_

_Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space - large enough for two people - that separated Malfoy and the next man._

_"The Lestranges should stand here," said Voldemort quietly. "But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me. . . . When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us ... they are our natural allies ... we will recall the banished giants ... I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear. ..."_

_He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them._

_"Macnair . . . destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide. ..."_

_"Thank you, Master . . . thank you," murmured Macnair._

_"And here" - Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures - "we have Crabbe . . . you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?"_

_They bowed clumsily, muttering dully._

_"Yes, Master ..."_

_"We will, Master..."_

_"The same goes for you, Nott," said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow._

_"My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful -" "That will do," said Voldemort._

_He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there._

_"And here we have six missing Death Eaters . . . three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return ... he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever ... he will be killed, of course . . . and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service."_

_The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks._

_"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight. . . ._

_"Yes," said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction. "Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor."_

_There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask._

_"Master, we crave to know ... we beg you to tell us ... how you have achieved this . . . this miracle . . . how you managed to return to us. .. ."_

_"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius," said Voldemort. "And it begins - and ends - with my young friend here."_

_He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle._

_"You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?" Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. "You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him - and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen. ... I could not touch the boy."_

_Voldemort raised one of his long elegant fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek._

_"His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice. . . . This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it... but no matter. I can touch him now."_

_Harry felt the cold tip of the long elegant finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters._

_"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah . . . pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost. . . but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know... I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal - to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked ... for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself... for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand. . . ._

_"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist. ... I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited. . . . Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me. . . one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body . . , but I waited in vain. ..."_

_The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing._

_"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me._

_I sometimes inhabited animals - snakes, of course, being my preference - but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic . . . and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long. . . ._

_"Then . . . four years ago . . . the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard - young, foolish, and gullible - wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of... for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school... he was easy to bend to my will... he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted . . . thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter. ..."_

_Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry._

_"The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been," Voldemort continued. "I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers. . . . Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour... I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess . . . and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me. ..."_

_One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice._

_"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last... a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding . . . helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way._

_Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them. . . ._

_"But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food . . . and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic._

_"Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail - displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him - convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her ... he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams ... for - with a little persuasion - she became a veritable mine of information._

_"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things. . . but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her."_

_Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless._

_"Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth ... a spell or two of my own invention ... a little help from my dear Nagini," Voldemorts red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, "a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided ... I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel._

_"There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower ... I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength._

_"I knew that to achieve this - it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight - I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant. . . ._

_"My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foe ... Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me ... as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potters blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago . . . for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too. ._

_"But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there. . . . Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup. ... I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?_

_"Why ... by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament - that he touched the Triwizard Cup first - the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is ... the boy you all believed had been my downfall. ..."_

_Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"_

_It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end ... to black out... to die ..._

_And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort's father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter._

_"You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me," said Voldemort. "But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini," he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching._

_"Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand."_

_-end_

___

_The fight happened. Blah blah._

_"Accio!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle -_

_He heard Voldemort s scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked - it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Rikki along with him. . . . They were going back._

___

_Harry and Rikki landed on the floor with a thump. The Cup had been pushed away from the two. The Cullens stared on._

_Trumpets and cheering could be heard all around Harry. He didn't care. Rikki was gone and never coming back._

_He sobbed noisily onto her robes and held her close. The cheering and trumpets stopped. Girls could be heard shrieking and wailing the guys shouting in panicked voices._

_Harry could hear multiple footsteps coming towards them._

_A gasp could be heard. "Oh my God! Diggory's dead!"exclaimed Professor McGonagall as soon as she saw Rikki's unseeing eyes._

_"The rest of the Diggorys are coming here Albus! I can see them near the stands!"warned Madam Pomfrey._

_"Let them come, but break the news as gently as you can to Miss Diggory's parents and brother. They do not need to be more distraught than they already are."ordered Dumbledore, but it was too late. They were already there._

_"That was my little girl! Our little girl, dead!"cried Amos Diggory. The Cullens' heart ached for the Diggorys _

_"C'mon, Harry, just let her go,"coaxed Rikki's fifteen year old brother, Damon._

_Everyone stared at him and back at Edward in surprise._

_"That guy looks so much like me! Weird..."Edward said. _

_"Maybe you're related?"suggested Carlisle._

_They paid more attention to the scene._

_"No! You don't understand. I saw her bloody die in front of me! She shouldn't be dead. She should be alive and smiling, Day. Teasing me for what a prat I am..."trailed off Harry's as his voice broke in grief._

_Damon managed to pry Harry off Rikki's body slowly without him noticing. "C'mon Harry. I understand. Just go to the Hospital Wing with Professor Moody, yeah? I'll st-ay h-h-here with Mum and Dad."he tried to say confidently, but his voice got choked up in the end._

_"Oh my god, it's Rikki's brother!"Esme exclaimed._

_Moody took Harry and led them back to the castle._

___

_Limbo_

_The Cullens gasped as they found themselves in limbo._

_Rikki gasped as I sat up in some white space. How the hell was she still alive? They know that She got hit with a Killing Curse! She even told Harry to take her body back! _

_She looked down to find herself naked. Oh my God! Weren't there any clothes here?! The Cullens turned around in embarrassment._

_She looked to my side to see a white sundress. Rikki quickly slipped it on, lest someone see her like that._

_They could hear footsteps coming from behind them. Rikki stood up and immediately turned to that direction._

_What she saw really left her awestruck._

_Two figures, one robed in a white brighter than the room, the other robed in a pitch black darker than a night without the moon or stars._

_Both had a symbol on their left breast of the robe. She recognized only one of them. The one on the black figure. One that was whispered throughout the ages._

_The Deathly Hallows._

_"Y-You're Death!" Rikki squeaked fearfully._

_Death smiled. He didn't look like that skeletal person people whispered about . He looked rather handsome if you asked them. Hair blonder than the Malfoys, eyes greener than an infamous pair that they knew._

_His face looked aristocratic and quite pale if you asked them .His hair reached to his shoulders._

_The other figure, was a woman with inky black hair and golden eyes and lightly tanned skin. Everyone thinks that they have an idea who she is. Legends say that Death had a twin sister, Life._

_She was exactly the opposite of what Death was supposed to be. Except beautiful. She was every bit as beautiful as him._

_"What am you doing here?" Rikki asked._

_Life spoke. "To see my Heir, of course! And also to warn you, Cedrikah."_

_She grimaced at the use of my full name. I really hated it._

_"Call me Rikki, please." She says. "And what do you mean that I'm your Heir?! What do you have to warn me against?"_

_Death put up his hand in a silencing gesture. "Calm down, childe."he said in a rich baritone. " Let's start with the biggest issue first."_

_"Yeeesss?..."_

_Life smiled indulgently. "You know, I've always wanted a teenager of my own!"she squealed to her brother. "This should be fun!"_

_Death gave her a glare. "Getting on to other serious issues..." he said, turning back to Rikki._

_"Cedrikah, you are Life's Heir to her Hallows, funnily enough, called 'The Lively Hallows'. She chose you to be her Heir and I chose someone you know to be mine."Death explained to Rikki._

_Huh? "Who's your Heir, Lord Death?" Rikki asked._

_"Harry Potter."_

_@$#._

_"Really! Wow! T-That's awesome...I guess." She says._

_Life and Death both laughed at her bewildered expression._

_"What do you have to warn me about?" Rikki asked, trying very hard to change the topic._

_It worked._

_This time it was Life's turn to get serious._

_"Albus Dumbledore and Ginny Weasley are going to try and separate you and Harry from each other—."_

_"WHAT?!"came the reaction from everyone._

_"—BUT you shall see him again. In four years time, on this very day, you will be a totally different person, with a different personality and a different family with no memory of the past. You'll be somewhere far away from England, but do not fret, child. You will remember your beloved and combine your past and present together."_

_"What happened to her?"Edward mused out loud. Alice smirked. _

_"Why do I have to go though?" Rikki wailed._

_"Blame our cousins Fate and Destiny for meddling in your lives. They love drama." Life said._

_"Tell them to fuck off when I see Harry again please."_

_"We can't promise that."_

_"Can I at least give him a clue in a dream or something?" Rikki asked._

_"Sure. We can allow that. But you have to pick a moment when you want the vision to presented to him. I'll masquerade as you if chose after the war."offered Life._

_"Definitely after." She replied._

_"Then good luck, Cedrikah. You're going to need it."_

_The room faded away._

_——————_

_ Reality _

_Rikki napped open my eyes to find myself laying on a bed in some unused classroom in the castle. At least it wasn't dusty though and the bed was comfortable._

_Rikki sat up to find herself being pushed back roughly by a smaller hand. What the fuck is going on?_

_"So sorry Rikki, but you're being a big nuisance to mine and Harry's relationship. I have no idea what he sees in you."hissed Ginny Weasley. _

_"That bitch!"Rosalie exclaimed._

_Huh. Rikki was not surprised actually. She kept a stoic expression, but said nothing._

_"Enough, Miss Weasley!"came Dumbledore's voice._

_"It's the headmaster!"said Jasper. "How could he?!"_

_Dumbledore strode out of the shadows with a vial of some potion that was tinted slightly green. _

_Everyone knew that stuff anywhere. Vampire venom._

_He cast a strong Glamour on Rikki that turned her into a guy and still said nothing. She looked a lot like my brother, Damon, from what she could see in the mirror that he had conjured up._

_"Edward...That's you..."Esme said, looking ready to pass out. Everyone looked at the said person who watched the scene silently._

_"I'm truly sorry that I had to do this to you Miss Diggory. You had to go, you are making Harry too independent. We need a martyr for this war, not a strong leader. It is for the Greater Good."he said somberly._

_"Fuck you, Dumblecock!"Edward growled. Emmett laughed uneasily._

_Rikki growled at him as he tipped the Vampire venom into my mouth. She gave a little shriek of pain as it burned her system, turning her less than human._

_All of a sudden, Dumbledore murmured "Obliviate" and Rikki knew no more._

_They were thrown out of the memories_

_—————————_

_Edward was silent as he looked at Harry. Harry and the other magicals watched him silently._

_"Do you believe what happened in there was true?"Harry asked almost inaudibly._

_"Yes, I do. Show me the rest."said Edward in a toneless voice._

_"It's my pleasure, Rikki."said Harry, smirking._

___

_Omg this is the longest chappie I have ever written! 8786 words! Jesus the lord!_

_But hey, I finished my exams so nyeh nyeh!!_


	19. Thanks For The Memories! Pt2

**_Previously on FRD: _**

_Edward was silent as he looked at Harry. Harry and the other magicals watched him silently._

_"Do you believe what happened in there was true?"Harry asked almost inaudibly._

_"Yes, I do. Show me the rest."said Edward in a toneless voice._

_"It's my pleasure, Rikki."said Harry, smirking._

___

_-Memory Five-_

_(Fast forward through canon OoTP)_

_This time, Harry was with the Cullens. They were in the Forbidden Forest, watching as Harry and Hermione walked into their line of sight as Dolores Umbridge was behind them, her wand trained on their backs._

_"Toady Git."grumbled the real Harry. Edward tried to stifle a chuckle._

_Umbitch—no! I meant Umbridge started to speak._

_"You two better not be lying or I'll Crucio you both!"she simpered._

_"No Headmistress Umbridge."Harry and Hermione said._

_Just then, the Centaurs burst through and the trio moved back._

_"This is where it gets good!"cackled Real Harry._

_"I bet, you doofus!"said Edward/Rikki _

_The Cullens just shook their heads and laughed._

_"Two leggeds! What are you doing here in our Forest?!"yelled Bane._

_Harry and Hermione moved closer to each other and backed away. Umbridge foolishly went forward._

_"Listen here, you stupid half-breed! Get of the way! I am The Undersecretary to Minister Fudge! Now get out of the way! I have important business to take of!"she yelled. She then shot an Incarcerous at one of the Centaurs, nearly causing him to choke before he was set free._

_Bane immediately speared her pink cardigan and lifted her up in the air. The Toad woman shrieked at Harry._

_"Mr Potter! Tell them that I mean no harm!"she squealed._

_Harry and Hermione laughed. Harry held up his scarred hand with those infamous words and said:_

_"I'm sorry Headmistress, but 'I must not tell lies' remember?"he cackled._

_Hermione giggled and said: "Count how many fucks you give about her! Do it!"_

_"Okay then."said Harry and started to count. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...Aw shit, all my fucks flew away! Guess I don't give any fucks about you Umbitch! Bye now!"Harry said, waving as the Centaurs took the Toad away._

_Edward/Rikki turned to Harry and clapped him on the back. "Totally savage!"he/she congratulated him._

_"Thaaank ya."replied Harry. "Now we move on to sixth year. Rik, please don't get upset here. I beg you..."Harry warned._

_Edward/Rikki narrowed his/her eyes and asked: "What's in the memory?"_

_"Won't tell you. Sorry..."_

_"Haaaaarrrrrryyyyyy!" he/she whined. Emmett laughed._

_"But I can tell you one thing though..."_

_"What?"_

_"I got my Dark Veela inheritance after the 'Not-So-Final' Battle. It had something to do with me being the Master of Death. Veela are like angels. There are Light Angels then there are Dark Angels. You Rikki are a Light Veela, since you are the Mistress of Life."explained Harry vaguely._

_"Jeez. I never wanted to be a Goody-Two-Shoes..."_

___

_-Memory Six-_

_(HBP compliant until Christmas)_

_The Cullens and Harry watched as a sixteen year old version of him was sitting outside of the Astronomy Tower. He had ditched the Christmas party to get away from everyone. He didn't need all the noise._

_"There's the bitch!"Rosalie hissed as they watched Ginny Weasley enter the room._

_She plopped herself next to Harry and took his hand in hers. The Memory Harry plastered a fake smile._

_"Where's Dean?"he asked._

_"I...broke up with him. He was getting too annoying for my taste...I never really liked him anyway. I actually liked someone else..."Ginny said, blushing a red that clashed with her hair._

_"Who is that special guy?"Memory Harry asked nervously._

_"Harry, so Morgana help you if you kiss her!"Edward/Rikki hissed._

_"Chill, Rikki!"soothed Harry._

_They looked back to the conversation._

_"You."and Ginny leaned in for a kiss. Harry looked at her, horrified. He put his hand on her lips and said uneasily:_

_"Ginny, I don't love you like that... you may find this ridiculous but I still love Rikki... I love you like a sister."_

_Ginny's ears turned crimson. Her eyes flashed in anger._

_"What does she have that I don't? I'm a Pureblood, just like her! Is it because I don't have grey eyes or bronze hair? I-I can dye my hair that color!"she squeaked slightly tearfully._

_"Desperate bitch."commented Edward/Rikki idly._

_"It gets worse,"Real Harry bluntly stated._

_"No! It's not like that Gin—"the Memory Harry said but was cut off by an angry redhead._

_"THEN WHAT IS IT?! I tried so hard to get your affection! You should be mine. Stop sniveling over a dead bitch! She never even told you if she loved you! It's been two years, Harry. Be with me. I've loved you ever since I was five!"_

_"Don't call Rikki a dead bitch! Don't sully her memory, you cow! I don't care if she may have not loved me, I would have been happy for her and let her find someone else, loving her from afar..."Memory Harry shouted at the redhead._

_"Why don't you go join her then if you cry for her so? Do us all a favor. If I can't have you, no one can! You will die by my hand Harry! I swear!!"Ginny shrieked wildly._

_She walked out, leaving all occupants in stunned silence._

_" I should have known that she was serious about her threat. She had opted to stay out of the Final Battle. I didn't tell anyone about her outburst. Now, she's in Romania, far away from us. That helps me sleep better at night..."said Real Harry._

_"What if she comes back?"Esme asked._

_"Luna would tell us. She's a more accurate Seer than your Alice. Her visions are more concrete but she can't see too far into the future. When she does, it is only by a vision sent to her from Beyond."Harry replied._

_"A Seer is what I am? Can I be taught to enhance my powers?"asked Alice eagerly._

_Harry smiled at her. "Yes, if you can handle Luna's confusing personality."_

_"I promise! I hope she says yes! "the pixie like girl squeaked._

_"She will. Now let's move on to my seventeenth year, looking for Voldemort's Horcruxes. It wasn't pretty. Loads of people died..."_

___

_-Memory Seven-_

_(No Harry/Ginny bday kiss, no Harry watching over Ginny. NOTHING TO DO AT ALL WITH GINNY)_

_Let's move towards the end. Let's go to Malfoy Manor and MY FINAL Battle. The Following is mostly an extract you'll see my version with this-XxMINExX_

_"Let me warn you all now. You are going to be feeling things from my point of view and it's not pretty. Try not to wince. This is from the moment I said Voldemort's name. It was Taboo and still is. That is how he finds you."said Real Harry to the Cullens._

_"So, he's not dead?!"Edward/Rikki exclaimed._

_"Nope. Now let's carry on!"_

___

_"The name's Taboo!" Ron bellowed, leaping to his feet as a loud crack sounded outside the tent. "I told you, Harry, I told you, we can't say it anymore — we've got to put the protection back around us — quickly — it's how they find —"_

_But Ron stopped talking, and Harry knew why. The Sneakoscope on the table had lit up and begun to spin; they could hear voices coming nearer and nearer: rough, excited voices. Ron pulled the De- luminator out of his pocket and clicked it: Their lamps went out._

_"Come out of there with your hands up!" came a rasping voice through the darkness. "We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don't care who we curse!"_

_Harry looked around at the other two, now mere outlines in the darkness. He saw Hermione point her wand, not toward the outside, but into his face; there was a bang, a burst of white light, and he buckled in agony, unable to see. He could feel his face swelling rapidly under his hands as heavy footfalls sur- rounded him._

_"Get up, vermin."_

_Unknown hands dragged Harry roughly off the ground. Before he could stop them, someone had rummaged through his pockets and removed the blackthorn wand. Harry clutched at his excruci- atingly painful face, which felt unrecognizable beneath his fingers, tight, swollen, and puffy as though he had suffered some violent allergic reaction. His eyes had been reduced to slits through which he could barely see; his glasses fell off as he was bundled out of the tent; all he could make out were the blurred shapes of four or five people wrestling Ron and Hermione outside too._

_"Get — off — her!" Ron shouted. There was the unmistakable sound of knuckles hitting flesh: Ron grunted in pain and Hermione screamed, "No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!"_

_"Your boyfriend's going to have worse than that done to him if he's on my list," said the horribly familiar, rasping voice. "Delicious girl . . . What a treat . . . I do enjoy the softness of the skin. . . ."_

_Harry's stomach turned over. He knew who this was: Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who was permitted to wear Death Eater robes in return for his hired savagery._

_"Search the tent!" said another voice._

_Harry was thrown facedown onto the ground. A thud told him that Ron had been cast down beside him._

_They could hear foot- steps and crashes; the men were pushing over chairs inside the tent as they searched._

_"Now, let's see who we've got," said Greyback's gloating voice from overhead, and Harry was rolled over onto his back. A beam of wandlight fell into his face and Greyback laughed._

_"I'll be needing butterbeer to wash this one down. What happened to you, ugly?"_

_Harry did not answer immediately._

_"I said," repeated Greyback, and Harry received a blow to the diaphragm that made him double over in pain, "what happened to you?"_

_"Stung," Harry muttered. "Been stung." "Yeah, looks like it," said a second voice. "What's your name?" snarled Greyback. "Dudley," said Harry._

_"And your first name?"_

_"I — Vernon. Vernon Dudley."_

_"Check the list, Scabior," said Greyback, and Harry heard him move sideways to look down at Ron, instead. "And what about you, ginger?"_

_"Stan Shunpike," said Ron._

_"Like 'ell you are," said the man called Scabior. "We know Stan Shunpike, 'e's put a bit of work our way."_

_There was another thud._

_"I'b Bardy," said Ron, and Harry could tell that his mouth was full of blood. "Bardy Weadley."_

_"A Weasley?" rasped Greyback. "So you're related to blood traitors even if you're not a Mudblood. And lastly, your pretty little friend . . ." The relish in his voice made Harry's flesh crawl._

_"Easy, Greyback," said Scabior over the jeering of the others._

_"Oh, I'm not going to bite just yet. We'll see if she's a bit quicker at remembering her name than Barny. Who are you, girly?"_

_"Penelope Clearwater," said Hermione. She sounded terrified, but convincing._

_"What's your blood status?"_

_"Half-blood," said Hermione._

_"Easy enough to check," said Scabior. "But the 'ole lot of 'em look like they could still be 'ogwarts age —"_

_"We'b lebt," said Ron._

_"Left, 'ave you, ginger?" said Scabior. "And you decided to go camping? And you thought, just for a laugh, you'd use the Dark Lord's name?"_

_"Nod a laugh," said Ron. "Aggiden."_

_"Accident?" There was more jeering laughter._

_"You know who used to like using the Dark Lord's name, Weasley?" growled Greyback. "The Order of the Phoenix. Mean anything to you?"_

_"Doh."_

_"Well, they don't show the Dark Lord proper respect, so the name's been Tabooed. A few Order members have been tracked that way. We'll see. Bind them up with the other two prisoners!"_

_Someone yanked Harry up by the hair, dragged him a short way, pushed him down into a sitting position, then started binding him back-to-back with other people. Harry was still half blind, barely able to see anything through his puffed-up eyes. When at last the man tying them had walked away, Harry whispered to the other prisoners._

_"Anyone still got a wand?"_

_"No," said Ron and Hermione from either side of him._

_"This is all my fault. I said the name, I'm sorry —"_

_"Harry?"_

_It was a new, but familiar, voice, and it came from directly behind Harry, from the person tied to Hermione's left. "Dean ?"_

_"It is you! If they find out who they've got — ! They're Snatchers, they're only looking for truants to sell for gold —"_

_"Not a bad little haul for one night," Greyback was saying, as a pair of hobnailed boots marched close by Harry and they heard more crashes from inside the tent. "A Mudblood, a runaway goblin, and three truants. You checked their names on the list yet, Scabior?" he roared._

_"Yeah. There's no Vernon Dudley on 'ere, Greyback."_

_"Interesting," said Greyback. "That's interesting."_

_He crouched down beside Harry, who saw, through the infini- tesimal gap left between his swollen eyelids, a face covered in mat- ted gray hair and whiskers, with pointed brown teeth and sores at the corners of his mouth. Greyback smelled as he had done at the top of the tower where Dumbledore had died: of dirt, sweat, and blood._

_"So you aren't wanted, then, Vernon? Or are you on that list un- der a different name? What House were you in at Hogwarts?"_

_"Slytherin," said Harry automatically._

_"Funny 'ow they all thinks we wants to 'ear that," jeered Scabior out of the shadows. "But none of 'em can tell us where the common room is."_

_"It's in the dungeons," said Harry clearly. "You enter through the wall. It's full of skulls and stuff and it's under the lake, so the light's all green."_

_There was a short pause._

_"Well, well, looks like we really 'ave caught a little Slytherin," said Scabior. "Good for you, Vernon, 'cause there ain't a lot of Mudblood Slytherins. Who's your father?"_

_"He works at the Ministry," Harry lied. He knew that his whole story would collapse with the smallest investigation, but on the other hand, he only had until his face regained its usual appearance before the game was up in any case. "Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes."_

_"You know what, Greyback," said Scabior. "I think there is a Dudley in there."_

_Harry could barely breathe: Could luck, sheer luck, get them safely out of this?_

_"Well, well," said Greyback, and Harry could hear the tiniest note of trepidation in that callous voice, and knew that Greyback was wondering whether he had indeed just attacked and bound the son of a Ministry official. Harry's heart was pounding against the ropes around his ribs; he would not have been surprised to know that Greyback could see it. "If you're telling the truth, ugly, you've got nothing to fear from a trip to the Ministry. I expect your father'll reward us just for picking you up."_

_"But," said Harry, his mouth bone dry, "if you just let us —"_

_"Hey!" came a shout from inside the tent. "Look at this, Grey- back!"_

_A dark figure came bustling toward them, and Harry saw a glint of silver in the light of their wands. They had found Gryffindor's sword._

_"Ve-e-ry nice," said Greyback appreciatively, taking it from his companion. "Oh, very nice indeed. Looks goblin-made, that. Where did you get something like this?"_

_"It's my father's," Harry lied, hoping against hope that it was too dark for Greyback to see the name etched just below the hilt. "We borrowed it to cut firewood —"_

_" 'ang on a minute, Greyback! Look at this, in the Prophet !"_

_As Scabior said it, Harry's scar, which was stretched tight across his distended forehead, burned savagely. More clearly than he could make out anything around him, he saw a towering building, a grim fortress, jet-black and forbidding; Voldemort's thoughts had sud- denly become razor-sharp again; he was gliding toward the gigantic building with a sense of calmly euphoric purpose. . . ._

_So close . . . So close . . ._

_With a huge effort of will Harry closed his mind to Voldemort's thoughts, pulling himself back to where he sat, tied to Ron, Hermione, Dean, and Griphook in the darkness, listening to Greyback and Scabior._

_"''ermione Granger,'" Scabior was saying, "'the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter.' "_

_Harry's scar burned in the silence, but he made a supreme effort to keep himself present, not to slip into Voldemort's mind. He heard the creak of Greyback's boots as he crouched down in front of Hermione._

_"You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."_

_"It isn't! It isn't me!"_

_Hermione's terrified squeak was as good as a confession._

_" '. . . known to be traveling with Harry Potter,' " repeated Greyback quietly._

_A stillness had settled over the scene. Harry's scar was exquisitely painful, but he struggled with all his strength against the pull of Voldemort's thoughts: It had never been so important to remain in his own right mind._

_"Well, this changes things, doesn't it?" whispered Greyback. No- body spoke: Harry sensed the gang of Snatchers watching, frozen, and felt Hermione's arm trembling against his. Greyback got up and took a couple of steps to where Harry sat, crouching down again to stare closely at his misshapen features._

_"What's that on your forehead, Vernon?" he asked softly, his breath foul in Harry's nostrils as he pressed a filthy finger to the taut scar._

_"Don't touch it!" Harry yelled; he could not stop himself; he thought he might be sick from the pain of it._

_"I thought you wore glasses, Potter?" breathed Greyback._

_"I found glasses!" yelped one of the Snatchers skulking in the background. "There was glasses in the tent, Greyback, wait —"_

_And seconds later Harry's glasses had been rammed back onto his face. The Snatchers were closing in now, peering at him._

_"It is!" rasped Greyback. "We've caught Potter!"_

_They all took several steps backward, stunned by what they had done. Harry, still fighting to remain present inside his own split- ting head, could think of nothing to say: Fragmented visions were breaking across the surface of his mind —_

_— He was gliding around the high walls of the black fortress — No, he was Harry, tied up and wandless, in grave danger —_

_— looking up, up to the topmost window, the highest tower —_

_He was Harry, and they were discussing his fate in low_

_voices —_

_— Timetofly..._

_". . . to the Ministry?"_

_"To hell with the Ministry," growled Greyback. "They'll take the credit, and we won't get a look in. I say we take him straight to You-Know-Who."_

_"Will you summon 'im? 'ere?" said Scabior, sounding awed, terrified._

_"No," snarled Greyback, "I haven't got — they say he's using the Malfoys' place as a base. We'll take the boy there."_

_Harry thought he knew why Greyback was not calling Voldemort. The werewolf might be allowed to wear Death Eater robes when they wanted to use him, but only Voldemort's inner circle were branded with the Dark Mark: Greyback had not been granted this highest honor._

_Harry's scar seared again —The Cullens gasped in pain again. Harry didn't even flinch— and he rose into the night, flying straight up to the window at the very top of the tower —_

_". . . completely sure it's him? 'Cause if it ain't, Greyback, we're dead."_

_"Who's in charge here?" roared Greyback, covering his moment of inadequacy. "I say that's Potter, and him plus his wand, that's two hundred thousand Galleons right there! But if you're too gutless to come along, any of you, it's all for me, and with any luck, I'll get the girl thrown in!"_

_— The window was the merest slit in the black rock, not big enough for a man to enter. . . . A skeletal figure was just visible through it, curled beneath a blanket. . . . Dead, or sleeping . . . ?_

_"All right!" said Scabior. "All right, we're in! And what about the rest of 'em, Greyback, what'll we do with 'em?"_

_"Might as well take the lot. We've got two Mudbloods, that's another ten Galleons. Give me the sword as well. If they're rubies, that's another small fortune right there."_

_The prisoners were dragged to their feet. Harry could hear Her- mione's breathing, fast and terrified._

_"Grab hold and make it tight. I'll do Potter!" said Greyback, seizing a fistful of Harry's hair; Harry could feel his long yellow nails scratching his scalp. "On three! One — two — three —"_

_They Disapparated, pulling the prisoners with them. Harry strug- gled, trying to throw off Greyback's hand, but it was hopeless: Ron and Hermione were squeezed tightly against him on either side, he could not separate from the group, and as the breath was squeezed out of him his scar seared more painfully still as he forced himself through the slit of a window like a snake and landed, lightly as vapor, inside the cell-like room —_

_The prisoners lurched into one another as they landed in a coun- try lane. Harry's eyes, still puffy, took a moment to acclimatize, then he saw a pair of wrought-iron gates at the foot of what looked like a long drive. He experienced the tiniest trickle of relief. The worst had not happened yet: Voldemort was not here. He was, Harry knew, for he was fighting to resist the vision, in some strange, fortresslike place, at the top of a tower. How long it would take Voldemort to get to this place, once he knew that Harry was here, was another matter. . . ._

_One of the Snatchers strode to the gates and shook them._

_"How do we get in? They're locked, Greyback, I can't — blimey!"_

_He whipped his hands away in fright. The iron was contorting, twisting itself out of the abstract furls and coils into a frighten- ing face, which spoke in a clanging, echoing voice: "State your purpose!"_

_"We've got Potter!" Greyback roared triumphantly."We've captured Harry Potter!"_

_The gates swung open._

_"Come on!" said Greyback to his men, and the prisoners were shunted through the gates and up the drive, between high hedges that muffled their footsteps. Harry saw a ghostly white shape above him, and realized it was an albino peacock. He stumbled and was dragged onto his feet by Greyback; now he was staggering along sideways, tied back-to-back to the four other prisoners. Closing his puffy eyes, he allowed the pain in his scar to overcome him for a moment, wanting to know what Voldemort was doing, whether he knew yet that Harry was caught. . . ._

_The emaciated figure stirred beneath its thin blanket and rolled over toward him, eyes opening in a skull of a face. . . . The frail man sat up, great sunken eyes fixed upon him, upon Voldemort, and then he smiled. Most of his teeth were gone. . . ._

_"So, you have come. I thought you would . . . one day. But your journey was pointless. I never had it."_

_"You lie!"_

_As Voldemort's anger throbbed inside him, Harry's scar threat- ened to burst with pain, and he wrenched his mind back to his own body, fighting to remain present as the prisoners were pushed over gravel._

_Light spilled out over all of them._

_"What is this?" said a woman's cold voice._

_"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" rasped Greyback._

_"Who are you?"_

_"You know me!" There was resentment in the werewolf's voice._

_"Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter!"_

_Greyback seized Harry and dragged him around to face the light,_

_forcing the other prisoners to shuffle around too._

_"I know 'e's swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im!" piped up Scabior. "If you look a bit closer, you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see the girl? The Mudblood who's been traveling around with 'im, ma'am. There's no doubt it's 'im, and we've got 'is wand as well! 'Ere, ma'am —"_

_Through his puffy eyelids Harry saw Narcissa Malfoy scrutinizing his swollen face. Scabior thrust the blackthorn wand at her. She raised her eyebrows._

_Esme gasped as she saw a different woman from the one she had tea with._

_"Bring them in," she said._

_Harry and the others were shoved and kicked up broad stone steps into a hallway lined with portraits._

_"Follow me," said Narcissa, leading the way across the hall. "My son, Draco, is home for his Easter holidays. If that is Harry Potter, he will know."_

_The drawing room dazzled after the darkness outside; even with his eyes almost closed Harry could make out the wide proportions of the room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, more portraits against the dark purple walls. Two figures rose from chairs in front of an ornate marble fireplace as the prisoners were forced into the room by the Snatchers._

_"What is this?"_

_The dreadfully familiar, drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy fell on Harry's ears. He was panicking now: He could see no way out, and it was easier, as his fear mounted, to block out Voldemort's thoughts, though his scar was still burning._

_"They say they've got Potter," said Narcissa's cold voice. "Draco, come here."_

_Harry did not dare look directly at Draco, but saw him obliquely: a figure slightly taller than he was, rising from an armchair, his face a pale and pointed blur beneath white-blond hair._

_Greyback forced the prisoners to turn again so as to place Harry directly beneath the chandelier._

_"Well, boy?" rasped the werewolf._

_Harry was facing a mirror over the fireplace, a great gilded thing in an intricately scrolled frame. Through the slits of his eyes he saw his own reflection for the first time since leaving Grimmauld Place._

_His face was huge, shiny, and pink, every feature distorted by Hermione's jinx. His black hair reached his shoulders and there was a dark shadow around his jaw. Had he not known that it was he who stood there, he would have wondered who was wearing his glasses. He resolved not to speak, for his voice was sure to give him away; yet he still avoided eye contact with Draco as the latter approached._

_"Well, Draco?" said Lucius Malfoy. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"_

_"I can't — I can't be sure," said Draco. He was keeping his dis- tance from Greyback, and seemed as scared of looking at Harry as Harry was of looking at him._

_"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!"_

_Harry had never heard Lucius Malfoy so excited._

_"Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv —"_

_"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" said Greyback menacingly._

_"Of course not, of course not!" said Lucius impatiently. _

_He approached Harry himself, came so close that Harry could see the usually languid, pale face in sharp detail even through his swollen eyes. With his face a puffy mask, Harry felt as though he was peer- ing out from between the bars of a cage._

_"What did you do to him?" Lucius asked Greyback. _

_"How did he get into this state?"_

_"That wasn't us."_

_"Looks more like a Stinging Jinx to me," said Lucius._

_His gray eyes raked Harry's forehead._

_"There's something there," he whispered, "it could be the scar, stretched tight. . . . Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"_

_Harry saw Draco's face up close now, right beside his father's. They were extraordinarily alike, except that while his father looked beside himself with excitement, Draco's expression was full of re- luctance, even fear._

_"I don't know," he said, and he walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching._

_"We had better be certain, Lucius," Narcissa called to her hus- band in her cold, clear voice. "Completely sure that it is Potter, before we summon the Dark Lord . . . They say this is his" — she was looking closely at the blackthorn wand — "but it does not re- semble Ollivander's description. . . . If we are mistaken, if we call the Dark Lord here for nothing . . . Remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?"_

_"What about the Mudblood, then?" growled Greyback. Harry was nearly thrown off his feet as the Snatchers forced the prisoners to swivel around again, so that the light fell on Hermione instead._

_"Wait," said Narcissa sharply. "Yes — yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! I saw her picture in the Prophet! Look, Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?"_

_"I . . . maybe . . . yeah."_

_"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" shouted Lucius, strid- ing around the bound prisoners to face Ron. "It's them, Potter's friends — Draco, look at him, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's his name — ?"_

_"Yeah," said Draco again, his back to the prisoners. "It could be."_

_The drawing room door opened behind Harry. A woman spoke, and the sound of the voice wound Harry's fear to an even higher pitch._

_"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?"_

_Bellatrix Lestrange walked slowly around the prisoners, and stopped on Harry's right, staring at Hermione through her heavily lidded eyes._

_"But surely," she said quietly, "this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?"_

_"Yes, yes, it's Granger!" cried Lucius. "And beside her, we think, Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"_

_"Potter?" shrieked Bellatrix, and she backed away, the better to take in Harry. "Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!"_

_She dragged back her left sleeve: Harry saw the Dark Mark burned into the flesh of her arm, and knew that she was about to touch it, to summon her beloved master —_

_"I was about to call him!" said Lucius, and his hand actually closed upon Bellatrix's wrist, preventing her from touching the Mark. "I shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority —"_

_"Your authority!" she sneered, attempting to wrench her hand from his grasp. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!"_

_"This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy —"_

_"Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," interjected Greyback, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold —"_

_"Gold!" laughed Bellatrix, still attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his — of —"_

_She stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something Harry could not see. Jubilant at her capitulation, Lucius threw her hand from him and ripped up his own sleeve —_

_"STOP!" shrieked Bellatrix. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"_

_Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his own Mark. Bellatrix strode out of Harry's limited line of vision._

_"What is that?" he heard her say._

_"Sword," grunted an out-of-sight Snatcher._

_"Give it to me."_

_"It's not yorn, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."_

_There was a bang and a flash of red light: Harry knew that the Snatcher had been Stunned. There was a roar of anger from his fellows: Scabior drew his wand._

_"What d'you think you're playing at, woman?"_

_"Stupefy!" she screamed. "Stupefy!"_

_They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against one of her: She was a witch, as Harry knew, with prodi- gious skill and no conscience. They fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been forced into a kneeling position, his arms outstretched._

_Out of the corners of his eyes Harry saw Bellatrix bearing down upon the werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand, her face waxen._

_"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback as she pulled his wand out of his unresisting grip._

_"How dare you?" he snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"_

_"Where did you find this sword?" she repeated, brandishing it in his face. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"_

_"It was in their tent," rasped Greyback. "Release me, I say!"_

_She waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but ap- peared too wary to approach her. He prowled behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back._

_"Draco, move this scum outside," said Bellatrix, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."_

_"Don't you dare speak to Draco like —" said Narcissa furiously, but Bellatrix screamed,_

_"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!"_

_She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examin- ing its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners._

_"If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself. . . . But if he finds out . . . I must . . . I must know. . . ."_

_She turned back to her sister again._

_"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"_

_"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my —"_

_"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix. She looked frightening, mad; a thin stream of fire issued from her wand and burned a hole in the carpet._

_Narcissa hesitated for a moment, then addressed the werewolf._

_"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."_

_"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except . . . except for the Mudblood."_

_Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure._

_"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"_

_Bellatrix hit him across the face; the blow echoed around the room._

_"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them — yet."_

_She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another door, into a dark passageway, his wand held out in front of him, projecting an invisible and irresistible force._

_"Reckon she'll let me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her?" Greyback crooned as he forced them along the corridor. "I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you, ginger?"_

_Harry could feel Ron shaking. They were forced down a steep flight of stairs, still tied back-to-back and in danger of slipping and breaking their necks at any moment. At the bottom was a heavy door. Greyback unlocked it with a tap of his wand, then forced them into a dank and musty room and left them in total darkness. The echoing bang of the slammed cellar door had not died away before there was a terrible, drawn-out scream from directly above them._

_"HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed, and he started to writhe and struggle against the ropes tying them together, so that Harry staggered. "HERMIONE!"_

_"Be quiet!" Harry said. "Shut up, Ron, we need to work out a way —"_

_"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"_

_"We need a plan, stop yelling — we need to get these ropes off —"_

_"Harry?" came a whisper through the darkness. "Ron? Is that you?"_

_Ron stopped shouting. There was a sound of movement close by them, then Harry saw a shadow moving closer._

_"Harry? Ron?"_

_"Luna?"_

_"Yes, it's me! Oh no, I didn't want you to be caught!"_

_"Luna, can you help us get these ropes off?" said Harry._

_"Oh yes, I expect so. . . . There's an old nail we use if we need to break anything. . . . Just a moment . . ."_

_Hermione screamed again from overhead, and they could hear Bellatrix screaming too, but her words were inaudible, for Ron shouted again, "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"_

_"Mr. Ollivander?" Harry could hear Luna saying. "Mr. Olli- vander, have you got the nail? If you just move over a little bit. . . I think it was beside the water jug. . . ."_

_She was back within seconds._

_"You'll need to stay still," she said._

_Harry could feel her digging at the rope's tough fibers to work the knots free. From upstairs they heard Bellatrix's voice._

_"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword?_

_Where?"_

_"We found it — we found it — PLEASE!" Hermione screamed again; Ron struggled harder than ever, and the rusty nail slipped onto Harry's wrist._

_"Ron, please stay still!" Luna whispered. "I can't see what I'm doing —"_

_"My pocket!" said Ron. "In my pocket, there's a Deluminator, and it's full of light!"_

_A few seconds later, there was a click, and the luminescent spheres the Deluminator had sucked from the lamps in the tent flew into the cellar: Unable to rejoin their sources, they simply hung there, like tiny suns, flooding the underground room with light. Harry saw Luna, all eyes in her white face, and the motionless figure of Ollivander the wandmaker, curled up on the floor in the corner. Craning around, he caught sight of their fellow prisoners: Dean and Griphook the goblin, who seemed barely conscious, kept standing by the ropes that bound him to the humans._

_"Oh, that's much easier, thanks, Ron," said Luna, and she began hacking at their bindings again. "Hello, Dean!"_

_From above came Bellatrix's voice._

_"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!"_

_Another terrible scream —_

_"HERMIONE!"_

_"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!" "There!"_

_Harry felt the ropes fall away and turned, rubbing his wrists, to see Ron running around the cellar, looking up at the low ceiling, searching for a trapdoor. Dean, his face bruised and bloody, said"Thanks" to Luna and stood there, shivering, but Griphook sank onto the cellar floor, looking groggy and disoriented, many welts across his swarthy face._

_Ron was now trying to Disapparate without a wand._

_"There's no way out, Ron," said Luna, watching his fruitless ef- forts. "The cellar is completely escape-proof. I tried, at first. Mr. Ol- livander has been here for a long time, he's tried everything."_

_Hermione was screaming again: The sound went through Harry like physical pain. Barely conscious of the fierce prickling of his scar, he too started to run around the cellar, feeling the walls for he hardly knew what, knowing in his heart that it was useless._

_"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"_

_Hermione's screams echoed off the walls upstairs, Ron was half sobbing as he pounded the walls with his fists, and Harry in utter desperation seized Hagrid's pouch from around his neck and groped inside it: He pulled out Dumbledore's Snitch and shook it, hoping for he did not know what — nothing happened — he waved the broken halves of the phoenix wand, but they were lifeless — the mirror fragment fell sparkling to the floor, and he saw a gleam of brightest blue —_

_Dumbledore's eye was gazing at him out of the mirror._

_"Help us!" he yelled at it in mad desperation. "We're in the cellar of Malfoy Manor, help us!"_

_The eye blinked and was gone._

_Harry was not even sure that it had really been there. He tilted the shard of mirror this way and that, and saw nothing reflected there but the walls and ceiling of their prison, and upstairs Hermione was screaming worse than ever, and next to him Ron was bellowing, _

_"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"_

_"How did you get into my vault?" they heard Bellatrix scream. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"_

_"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault. . . . It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"_

_"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"_

_"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius's voice._

_"Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"_

_Harry dashed across the cellar to where Griphook was huddled on the floor._

_"Griphook," he whispered into the goblin's pointed ear, "you must tell them that sword's a fake, they mustn't know it's the real one, Griphook, please —"_

_He could hear someone scuttling down the cellar steps; next mo- ment, Draco's shaking voice spoke from behind the door._

_"Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill you!"_

_They did as they were bidden; as the lock turned, Ron clicked the Deluminator and the lights whisked back into his pocket, restoring the cellar's darkness. The door flew open; Malfoy marched inside, wand held out in front of him, pale and determined. He seized the little goblin by the arm and backed out again, dragging Griphook with him. The door slammed shut and at the same moment a loud crack echoed inside the cellar._

_Ron clicked the Deluminator. Three balls of light flew back into the air from his pocket, revealing Dobby the house-elf, who had just Apparated into their midst._

_"DOB — !"_

_Harry hit Ron on the arm to stop him shouting, and Ron looked terrified at his mistake. Footsteps crossed the ceiling overhead: Draco marching Griphook to Bellatrix._

_Dobby's enormous, tennis-ball-shaped eyes were wide; he was trembling from his feet to the tips of his ears. He was back in the home of his old masters, and it was clear that he was petrified._

_"Harry Potter," he squeaked in the tiniest quiver of a voice, "Dobby has come to rescue you."_

_"But how did you — ?"_

_An awful scream drowned Harry's words: Hermione was being tortured again. He cut to the essentials._

_"You can Disapparate out of this cellar?" he asked Dobby, who nodded, his ears flapping._

_"And you can take humans with you?"_

_Dobby nodded again._

_"Right. Dobby, I want you to grab Luna, Dean, and Mr. Ollivander, and take them — take them to —"_

_"Bill and Fleur's," said Ron. "Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth!"_

_The elf nodded for a third time._

_"And then come back," said Harry. "Can you do that, Dobby?" "Of course, Harry Potter," whispered the little elf. He hurried over to Mr. Ollivander, who appeared to be barely conscious. He took one of the wandmaker's hands in his own, then held out the other to Luna and Dean, neither of whom moved._

_"Harry, we want to help you!" Luna whispered._

_"We can't leave you here," said Dean._

_"Go, both of you! We'll see you at Bill and Fleur's."_

_As Harry spoke, his scar burned worse than ever, and for a few seconds he looked down, not upon the wandmaker, but on another man who was just as old, just as thin, but laughing scornfully._

_"Kill me, then, Voldemort, I welcome death! But my death will not bring you what you seek. . . . There is so much you do not under- stand. . . ."_

_He felt Voldemort's fury, but as Hermione screamed again he shut it out, returning to the cellar and the horror of his own present._

_"Go!" Harry beseeched Luna and Dean. "Go! We'll follow, just go!"_

_They caught hold of the elf's outstretched fingers. There was another loud crack, and Dobby, Luna, Dean, and Ollivander vanished._

_"What was that?" shouted Lucius Malfoy from over their heads. "Did you hear that? What was that noise in the cellar?"_

_Harry and Ron stared at each other._

_"Draco — no, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!" Footsteps crossed the room overhead, then there was silence._

_Harry knew that the people in the drawing room were listening for more noises from the cellar._

_"We're going to have to try and tackle him," he whispered to Ron. They had no choice: The moment anyone entered the room and saw the absence of three prisoners, they were lost. "Leave the lights on," Harry added, and as they heard someone descending the steps out- side the door, they backed against the wall on either side of it._

_"Stand back," came Wormtail's voice. "Stand away from the door. I am coming in."_

_The door flew open. For a split second Wormtail gazed into the apparently empty cellar, ablaze with light from the three miniature suns floating in midair. Then Harry and Ron launched themselves upon him. Ron seized Wormtail's wand arm and forced it upward; Harry slapped a hand to his mouth, muffling his voice. Silently they struggled: Wormtail's wand emitted sparks; his silver hand closed around Harry's throat._

_"What is it, Wormtail?" called Lucius Malfoy from above._

_"Nothing!" Ron called back, in a passable imitation of Wormtail's wheezy voice. "All fine!"_

_Harry could barely breathe._

_"You're going to kill me?" Harry choked, attempting to prise off the metal fingers. "After I saved your life? You owe me, Wormtail!"_

_The silver fingers slackened. Harry had not expected it: He wrenched himself free, astonished, keeping his hand over Worm- tail's mouth. He saw the ratlike man's small watery eyes widen with fear and surprise: He seemed just as shocked as Harry at what his hand had done, at the tiny, merciful impulse it had betrayed, and he continued to struggle more powerfully, as though to undo that moment of weakness._

_"And we'll have that," whispered Ron, tugging Wormtail's wand from his other hand._

_Wandless, helpless, Pettigrew's pupils dilated in terror. His eyes had slid from Harry's face to something else. His own silver fingers were moving inexorably toward his own throat._

_"No —"_

_Without pausing to think, Harry tried to drag back the hand, but there was no stopping it. The silver tool that Voldemort had given his most cowardly servant had turned upon its disarmed and use- less owner; Pettigrew was reaping his reward for his hesitation, his moment of pity; he was being strangled before their eyes._

_"No!"_

_Ron had released Wormtail too, and together he and Harry tried to pull the crushing metal fingers from around Wormtail's throat, but it was no use. Pettigrew was turning blue._

_"Relashio!" said Ron, pointing the wand at the silver hand, but nothing happened; Pettigrew dropped to his knees, and at the same moment, Hermione gave a dreadful scream from overhead. Worm- tail's eyes rolled upward in his purple face; he gave a last twitch, and was still._

_Harry and Ron looked at each other, then leaving Wormtail's body on the floor behind them, ran up the stairs and back into the shad- owy passageway leading to the drawing room. Cautiously they crept along it until they reached the drawing room door, which was ajar. Now they had a clear view of Bellatrix looking down at Griphook, who was holding Gryffindor's sword in his long-fingered hands. Her- mione was lying at Bellatrix's feet. She was barely stirring._

_"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"_

_Harry waited, holding his breath, fighting against the prickling of his scar._

_"No," said Griphook. "It is a fake."_

_"Are you sure?" panted Bellatrix. "Quite sure?"_

_"Yes," said the goblin._

_Relief broke across her face, all tension drained from it._

_"Good," she said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed another deep cut into the goblin's face, and he dropped with a yell at her feet. She kicked him aside. "And now," she said in a voice that burst with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!"_

_And she pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark._

_At once, Harry's scar felt as though it had split open again. His true surroundings vanished: He was Voldemort, and the skeletal wizard before him was laughing toothlessly at him; he was enraged at the summons he felt — he had warned them, he had told them to summon him for nothing less than Potter. If they were mistaken . . ._

_"Kill me, then!" demanded the old man. "You will not win, you cannot win! That wand will never, ever be yours —"_

_And Voldemort's fury broke: A burst of green light filled the prison room and the frail old body was lifted from its hard bed and then fell back, lifeless, and Voldemort returned to the window, his wrath barely controllable. . . . They would suffer his retribution if they had no good reason for calling him back. . . ._

_"And I think," said Bellatrix's voice, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."_

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

_Ron had burst into the drawing room; Bellatrix looked around, shocked; she turned her wand to face Ron instead —_

_"Expelliarmus!" he roared, pointing Wormtail's wand at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air and was caught by Harry, who had sprinted after Ron. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Greyback wheeled about; Harry yelled, "Stupefy!" and Lucius Malfoy collapsed onto the hearth. Jets of light flew from Draco's, Narcissa's, and Greyback's wands; Harry threw himself to the floor, rolling behind a sofa to avoid them._

_"STOP OR SHE DIES!"_

_Panting, Harry peered around the edge of the sofa. Bellatrix was supporting Hermione, who seemed to be unconscious, and was holding her short silver knife to Hermione's throat._

_"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"_

_Ron stood rigid, clutching Wormtail's wand. Harry straightened up, still holding Bellatrix's._

_"I said, drop them!" she screeched, pressing the blade into Hermi- one's throat: Harry saw beads of blood appear there._

_"All right!" he shouted, and he dropped Bellatrix's wand onto the floor at his feet. Ron did the same with Wormtail's. Both raised their hands to shoulder height._

_"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"_

_Harry knew it; his scar was bursting with the pain of it, and he could feel Voldemort flying through the sky from far away, over a dark and stormy sea, and soon he would be close enough to Apparate to them, and Harry could see no way out._

_"Now," said Bellatrix softly, as Draco hurried back to her with the wands, "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."_

_At the last word there was a peculiar grinding noise from above. All of them looked upward in time to see the crystal chandelier tremble; then, with a creak and an ominous jingling, it began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; dropping Hermione, she threw herself aside with a scream. The chandelier crashed to the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Hermione and the goblin, who still clutched the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal flew in all directions: Draco doubled over, his hands covering his bloody face._

_As Ron ran to pull Hermione out of the wreckage, Harry took his chance: He leapt over an armchair and wrested the three wands from Draco's grip, pointed all of them at Greyback, and yelled, "Stupefy!" The werewolf was lifted off his feet by the triple spell, flew up to the ceiling, and then smashed to the ground._

_As Narcissa dragged Draco out of the way of further harm, Bel- latrix sprang to her feet, her hair flying as she brandished the silver knife; but Narcissa had directed her wand at the doorway._

_"Dobby!" she screamed, and even Bellatrix froze. "You! You dropped the chandelier — ?"_

_The tiny elf trotted into the room, his shaking finger pointing at his old mistress._

_"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he squeaked._

_"Kill him, Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix, but there was another loud crack, and Narcissa's wand too flew into the air and landed on the other side of the room._

_"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"_

_"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"_

_Harry's scar was blinding him with pain. Dimly he knew that they had moments, seconds before Voldemort was with them._

_"Ron, catch — and GO!" he yelled, throwing one of the wands to him; then he bent down to tug Griphook out from under the chandelier. Hoisting the groaning goblin, who still clung to the sword, over one shoulder, Harry seized Dobby's hand and spun on the spot to Disapparate._

_As he turned into darkness he caught one last view of the drawing room: of the pale, frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, of the streak of red that was Ron's hair, and a blur of flying silver, as Bellatrix's knife flew across the room at the place where he was vanishing —_

_Bill and Fleur's . . . Shell Cottage . . . Bill and Fleur's . . ._

_He had disappeared into the unknown; all he could do was re- peat the name of the destination and hope that it would suffice to take him there. The pain in his forehead pierced him, and the weight of the goblin bore down upon him; he could feel the blade of Gryffindor's sword bumping against his back; Dobby's hand jerked in his; he wondered whether the elf was trying to take charge, to pull them in the right direction, and tried, by squeezing the fingers, to indicate that that was fine with him. . . ._

_And then they hit solid earth and smelled salty air. Harry fell to his knees, relinquished Dobby's hand, and attempted to lower Griphook gently to the ground._

_"Are you all right?" he said as the goblin stirred, but Griphook merely whimpered._

_Harry squinted around through the darkness. There seemed to be a cottage a short way away under the wide starry sky, and he thought he saw movement outside it._

_"Dobby, is this Shell Cottage?" he whispered, clutching the two wands he had brought from the Malfoys', ready to fight if he needed to. "Have we come to the right place? Dobby?"_

_He looked around. The little elf stood feet from him. "DOBBY!"_

_The elf swayed slightly, stars reflected in his wide, shining eyes._

_Together, he and Harry looked down at the silver hilt of the knife protruding from the elf 's heaving chest._

_"Dobby — no — HELP!" Harry bellowed toward the cottage, toward the people moving there. "HELP!"_

_He did not know or care whether they were wizards or Muggles, friends or foes; all he cared about was that a dark stain was spreading across Dobby's front, and that he had stretched out his thin arms to Harry with a look of supplication. Harry caught him and laid him sideways on the cool grass._

_"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die —"_

_The elf's eyes found him, and his lips trembled with the effort to form words._

_"Harry . . . Potter . . ."_

_And then with a little shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great glassy orbs, sprinkled with light._

_All the Cullen women gave dry sobs and buried their heads into their hands. A lone tear slid down Harry's face._

_"Dobby..."he whispered brokenly. Edward/Rikki gave him a squeeze into his/her side._

___

_The Cullens and Harry were in a new setting. The battle worn Great Hall._

_(Extract with obvious differences)_

_"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill._

_"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"_

_Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, and Harry stood, invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent._

_"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"_

_"You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley._

_Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Harry knew what was going to happen before it did._

_Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and almost hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart._

_Bellatrix's gloating smile widened as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.Voldemort cackled as Molly Weasley growled in dismay._

_Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion; he saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's excitement at the quick save of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley._

_"Protego!" roared Harry, and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last._

_The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other._

_"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."_

_"You and your hero complex, Harry! It's going to be the death of you!"Edward/Rikki tutted._

_Real Harry sneered at her playfully and spat out: "Too bad I can't die! Cause why? I fucking rule Death himself!"_

_The rest of the party laughed. They carried on zoning in on the conversation._

_Voldemort hissed._

_"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"_

_"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."_

_"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"_

_"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, and for Harry no face existed but Voldemort's. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"_

_"Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and the watching crowd was frozen as if Petrified, and of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but they two. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"_

_"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people —"_

_"But you did not!"_

_"— I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"_

_"You dare —"_

_"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"_

_Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle, and Harry knew that he kept him temporarily mesmerized and at bay, held back by the faintest possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. . . ._

_(Extract end)_

_"Is it love again, Harry? Or what other nonsense do you have for me?"taunted Voldemort._

_Harry smirked._

_"Nope. Something even better!"he yelled._

_This piqued Voldemort's interest. "What then?" _

_Harry stretches his arms out wide, palms facing upwards. His dry, dark brown hair turned into a deep pitch black, his emerald eyes changed to the color of the Avada Kedavra Curse. His already pale skin paled a little further as he kept on smirking at Voldemort._

_His clothes were no longer tatty and dirty. He now wore midnight black robes with the Deathly Hallows symbol on his left breast in pure white. Behind on his neck, a black tattoo of the Deathly Hallows was forever enscribed onto his skin._

_Harry grinned. "I am the Master of Death, Riddle!"_

_His open palms unleashed magic so strong, it was hard to breathe. _

_Harry summoned all his Hallows. Now Lord Voldemort was left without a wand._

_With a furious shriek, He yelled:_

_"You better watch your fucking back Harry Potter! I WILL KILL YOU EVEN IF IT IS THE LAST THING I DO!"_

_He then Apparated away with his remaining Death Eaters except two. Lucius and Draco Malfoy. They were spies for the Light now they were going to fight alongside Harry Potter openly._

_"You're fucking awesome!"said Emmett in awe._

_"Thanks"said Harry, chuckling._

_They were thrown back into the real world again._

___

**_Longest. Chapter. Ever. 10323 words!_**

**_But I still love yah!_**


	20. We need some Diggorys

The Cullens stared at the wizards before them.

"You are all so strong, to survive what you have been through..."said Carlisle.

"So that means you have shown them everything Harry?"Narcissa, looking straight at Esme. She didn't want to lose her first true friend.

"Yes. And Edward?"said Harry, turning to said person.

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Two certain people want to speak with you..."

"Uh...Sure?"

Harry looked heavenward and shouted with his palms raised to the sky:

"I call upon you Lord Death and Lady Life! Your Heirs have finally been reunited!"

In response to Harry's call, two pillars of light, one golden and the other silvery, shot out of the sky to touch the ground.

In each pillar was a shape roughly the size of an adult human. The lights vanished and two figures stepped out. Harry kneeled and something told Edward/Rikki to do it too. The band of witches and wizards did so immediately and the Cullens followed suit.

Edward/Rikki POV

I felt a glowing satiny hand tip my face upwards to look into the face of an exquisitely beautiful woman. Her inky hair was tied back into a ponytail that ended just below her tailbone. Her tanned face, plump red lips and platinum gold eyes pierced into my own now seemingly dull ones which widened with wonder.

The woman smiled. "Hello, my Heiress! Long time, no see, huh?"she said conversationally. She held out her hand so I could take it and stand up. I did so.

Harry and the others had already stood up and were watching silently. The witches and wizards looked thoroughly confused when she had called me 'Heiress'.

"Why do you call Edward that when he is a guy, My Lady?"asked Hermione.

"Because, Edward here is actually your lost friend, Cedrikah Diggory! Isn't it obvious?"Life said it like it should be. Honestly though, it was.

"Come on! You MUST have noticed they very disorienting similarities to Edward and Rikki's brother, Damon! They could be twins, except that Damon has pale green green eyes and Edward has gold! And Damon is nineteen while Edward is stuck in a seventeen year old body of a male version of Rikki!"Life huffed.

Fred and George came barrelling towards me. They gave me a hug that I was sure it would bruise me if I were human.

"Rikki! You have no idea how boring life was without you! We missed you lots! Do you still remember us?"they said simultaneously as they let me go.

"Uhm...I don't remember anything really...I don't even know how to get my memories back, much less turn back into Rikki..." I said.

Their faces fell so fast, it broke my undead heart.

"But I do know how,"purred Death.

"How?"asked Esme.

"We need to tell the other Diggorys. They are the only ones who can break the blocks and Glamour."

A Deathly (A/N:Hahahaaaha! Lol) silence followed this statement.


	21. AN: Yes, i KNOW

To Guest  whoever you may be, I know that it's straight from the book, (creds to JK) anyway...

But my fingers were hurt and whatnot cause I had an injury...( don't wanna tell) but I still typed this thing out for y'all coz I love y'all.

At least I tried my dear so sorry, byezie

@tomarry15


	22. AN I DONT CARE! I LOVE IT!

To the other Guest I really don't mind if you don't find any more interest in my story. I really don't.

What I don't get is why you gotta go and flame my choice in names. It's annoying. I'm normally a nice person, but now... eyyy I'm really starting to dislike guests(. I love Tara though. Nice critique from you 3)

Rikki may sound ridiculous to some people but it's MY DAMN IMAGINATION and I love it.

So please, just don't read if you find this ridiculous.

So, Byezie,

Tomarry15

Ps— I give cyber cookies to all you guys who have stayed so long with me and I love ya so much lily-flower15 you so amazeballs!! *Blows air kisses*


	23. Can we dress you up? Please?

**A/N: I'm baaaaack! Didja miss me???**

**Oh yah, thanx to all those sweet reviewers. To all people who have flame or are gonna flame go and Voetsek! Look it up.**

———————

"WHAT?!"came the shriek from mostly the wizards. Harry was the only one from that party who wasn't exclaiming.

"No, but seriously, look at it from Death's perspective. He is right actually, if my brother is suggesting what I think he is,"said Life, trying to placate the wizards and witches.

"Then tell us, My Lady, what is it your brother is suggesting?"asked Esme a bit timidly.

Life turned towards Esme and said: "He is suggesting we do the Ritual that will turn Cedrikah back and add Hadrian into the mix so we can unleash their full power. After all, we did the same thing for the Peverell brothers..."

"What part do Edward's—Sorry, Rikki's parents play in this?"asked Rosalie. It was kinda confusing thinking that you knew someone for decades, instead it was only for four years...

Death smirked. "Since they are of Rikki's blood, they are the only ones strong enough to break the Glamour Dumbledore put. You have no idea how funny it was to see that the old codger expect to go to Heaven! Right now, he's in Purgatory for awhile..."he said, his own pair of Avada eyes flashing.

The wizards and witches winced. There had been tales about Purgatory from Dante, who actually was an Italian wizard. He did go through all that shit...

"What about Bella? Not Bellatrix, Isabella,"asked Rikki/Edward.

It was Life's turn to smirk. "That is where your brother comes in. He'll masquerade as you for awhile. You'll attend the school as 'Edward's' twin sister who stayed at Alaska before coming here. The Muggle girl won't suspect a thing,"she said.

**(Guys, I'll just put Edward as Edward while he's a dude. I'm getting tired too.) **

Edward crinkled his nose. "I don't feel comfortable kissing a girl when I actually like guys..."he muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

Fred and George gave him an incredulous look.

"Says the person who made out with Halieen Morgan in Slytherin after winning a Quidditch match!"snorted Fred. George was barely holding a fit of laughter from happening.

Edward looked at them, one eyebrow raised. "I did that?"

"Yuppity yup,"replied George.

Emmett let out a booming laugh. "Oh my god! Were you drunk or something??"

"Yes she was. I was the one who PERSONALLY spiked the punch with Firewhiskey from Filch's ,the janitor, office..."Fred declared proudly.

Edward snorted. "I think that it's time to retire for the night. We can spend more time together at school tomorrow,"he said.

Harry smiled at him softly. "Yes, we should do that,"he agreed. He turned back to the rest of the wizards and witches.

"Guys, let's go."he ordered.

Together, they spun as one and disappeared with a loud crack.

The Vampires stared at the spot they disappeared at.

Life put a soft hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Honey, be prepared. I'll contact your parents tomorrow. I think that it's best for me to slip into their dreams. Goodbye my sweet..."

And with that, the brother and sister duo left.

**_**

**Back at the Cullen House **

Edward was sandwiched between Rosalie and Alice, sitting comfortably on the white leather couch.

Esme and Carlisle were opposite them, a sad smile on their faces.

"You know, even though you aren't really Edward... I've grown fond of you. I still feel like I've known you for forever. I still think of you as family,"Esme murmured softly, gold eyes locked on the bronze haired.

Edward smiled. "I feel the same way. You know, I want you guys to stay in my life. You were one of the best parents anyone could ask for..."

"Thanks. But hey, since you're supposed to be a girl, can we go shopping? Bella's no fun at all!"whined Alice.

Edward gulped. "I don't know..."he said nervously.

"Please? I also wanna dress you up!"Rosalie pouted.

Edward could never say no to his sisters. He sighed in defeat. "Fine—"

"YAYYY!"

"But DON'T get me anything that's a dress. Hate those things..."

"We won't!"

The other Cullen males laughed at the poor bronze hair.

**_**


End file.
